Lycanthropy
by DEATHmuse
Summary: Two logical minds that don't believe in the supernatural are about to receive the shock of their lives. It's one thing to see a Werewolf, and a completely different story to be one... L/Light. Rated M for blood and violence.
1. Ch 1: Be Careful What You Wish For

**L-ycanthropy**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Death Note, but I wish I did.

**A/N:** This is my first Death Note fanfic and I hope you enjoy it. If you're wondering how the idea came up, I finally made a facebook (cool, right?) and on it, someone happened to bite me as a vampire. But then I realized I really didn't want to be a vampire. I loved werewolves much more so I turned myself. :D Later... it struck me. How the hell would L be able to deal if he was to become one? Anywho, you'll probably just skip this A/N and get to the good stuff. I don't blame you; don't we all do it? Cheers and PLEASE, PLEASE don't forget to review! I need your input to make this fanfic pawn! :3 (I apologize in advance if it's a little slow this chapter. You know how all first chapters are. I have big plans for chappie 2.)

Chapter 1: Be Careful What You Wish For

The incessant sound of L's fingers typing at unimaginable speeds seemed to become second nature to Light's ears. L gazed at the screen of his laptop, not noticing that Light's eyes were resting on his stressed features. Light was dazing in and out of his fleeting sleep. He figured it wouldn't be any harm to see what was preoccupying the detective. Of course, it could have been the Kira case, but it seemed that something else was bothering L.

"I'm sorry, Light-san; may I be of assistance to you?" L asked in his signature monotone voice, startling Light out of his daydream.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki, I'm fine," Light said quickly. L cocked his head slightly before stretching.

"I was wondering because you were staring at me for a while," L responded before Light sighed and sat up in bed.

"I was about to sleep but I wanted to ask…" Light started. L looked at him intently, waiting for an answer.

"You would like to know why I'm up so late… Am I correct in my deduction, Light-san?" L asked, handing Light his laptop nonchalantly. Light twitched slightly, wondering how L had come to know him so well. They were chained to each other every waking moment, and though Light showed subtle hostility, he eventually decided that it wouldn't be detrimental if he did in fact come to know his equal before he finished him off. Light nodded and took the laptop from L's hands without another moment's hesitation. He stared at images of horribly mangled bodies. The people looked as if they were mere rag dolls, the overall execution of the murders horribly sloppy and grotesque in their fashion. Limbs were either missing or seemed to be chewed up, with organs and blood strewn about the scene.

"What do you make of them, Light-san?" L inquired after seeing Light's repulsed reaction. Light glanced at the screen once more before looking back at L.

"The murders seem animalistic in their fashion, and the assailant obviously has no qualms about leaving their signature, or hiding their tracks… Could it be a sicko with an animal fetish? Are you sure they aren't just wild animal attacks? Simple tools can't make those sorts of incisions. I also see some sort of animal's footprint… Perhaps they were mauled by some sort of big cat or rabid dog?" Light guessed with slight conviction. L was now seated on his haunches with a thumb to his lips giving him a childlike look.

"I considered that possibility, Light-san, but how could a big cat, or granted that it was some sort of rabid dog, claim six victims in three weeks and not be caught in a city-type environment?" Light was taken slightly aback by L's statement. He blinked and looked back at the images to see most of the killings were in alleyways or by highway overpasses.

"I didn't know that information… could it be some sort of hoax?" Light said, scratching his head. L shifted slightly and looked back at him with a slight shrug.

"It can't be, Light-san. The FBI and the LAPD have been sending me the news feeds and case files. They have asked for my help and have even considered that Kira could now manipulate animals to do his bidding, which seems to be too fanciful for my tastes. These murders are too unstructured, even for Kira." Light smiled internally at the fact that L knew Kira wouldn't kill aimlessly and that he could distinguish his mannerisms. But at the same time, he wondered who could commit such macabre crimes.

"Are there other reoccurring patterns, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, slowly watching L's expression liven.

"Of course, Light-san. There are many. That is the strange part. For starters, the killer is a cannibal. This is obvious in the lack of organs in the corpses and the fact that there are visible bite marks and scratches on the victims. As you stated before, he takes no care in covering up his tracks. Also, all of his victims seem to have struggled before death, so they were all taken by force. Often they were alone, and all the murders seem to occur in the late afternoon and early morning hours of the day. Our killer seems to have a fascination with the moon, and didn't kill on the new moon… I think you gather the point from all this information. There are so many leads that it surprises me to think that they could not capture him on their own." Light looked at L with a slightly baffled expression. Even with all the leads and all of L's assumptions, Light was just as surprised as L was.

"Then why the hell do they need you? Wait a second. There's something you're not telling me, right?" Light asked, raising an eyebrow. L nodded and started to chew on his thumb.

"Correct, Light-san. What has thrown them off is the fact that some of the samples retrieved from the scenes were in fact some type of canine hair… however, this canine hair doesn't seem to register to any type of existing animal, but it is closely related to that of a canine's. All the blood samples seem to be void as well, because the killer's blood mixed with the victim's won't give the LAPD an accurate reading." Light seemed to become increasingly more engrossed in L's words as if it were some sort of child's story.

"The thing they have in their favor is that all of the murders are taking place in the vicinity of Los Angeles County, which narrows down the immediate area of investigation. However, Los Angeles is so vast, and the killer could easily escape if he really wished to. Not to mention having Hollywood as a backdrop for these crimes, thus the alias for the murders, 'The Wolf-man Crimes.'" L seemed to pause for a brief moment and rubbed his eyes lightly. "This is very intriguing to me and is somewhat of a fresh breath of air. Not that the Kira case is of less importance. This just gives me something else to ponder."

Light gave L a slightly puzzled look before handing back his laptop. It was funny to see that the world's greatest detective was also human and became bored. Even though the Kira case could eventually cause his death, he, too, needed to entertain himself even if it was with something as morbid as a series of cannibalistic murders.

"I'm happy to inform you that I will be receiving an actual sample of the saliva from the killer tomorrow. I know they mean well, but I feel that I need to look into this more in-depth. They have a skilled forensics staff, but if I can take a look without having to go there in person, that would be all the more pleasant. Don't you think, Light-san?" L said before shutting off his laptop and placing it into its respective cabinet. Light nodded slightly and started to move himself into a more comfortable position on the king-sized bed. He pulled the soft blankets over himself, forming a sort of cocoon.

"Thanks for indulging me, Ryuuzaki. It's rare for you to share any sort of information regarding any other case," Light called from under the mass of blankets. The raccoon-eyed man nodded silently over towards him.

"Not a problem, Light-san. In fact, I was wondering if you might be able to aid me with this case. Since we're friends now, I figured we could be some sort of duo if I come out of the Kira case alive…" The statement made Light shoot straight up in the bed and look at L sternly. Light almost seemed to feel bad, and he hated it.

"What makes you so sure that you're going to die and that you won't catch him first? Do you even realize what you're saying, Ryuuzaki? Of course I'm going to help you with this case and any other that comes along, no matter the circumstance," Light said, realizing that he had actually said something very intimate to the other man. He had just made a promise. Light almost pulled his hands over his mouth to pull back what he just stated. He winced slightly before looking back over at L who was now staring at him with his dark eyes. L seemed to be calculating what he had just heard, disheveled black hair almost seeming to make him more dramatic. L simply yawned and reached over to the lamp that provided light for his side of the room, plunging them into calm darkness.

"Thank you… it's a really nice gesture, Light-san," L said with a small pause. Disregarding the fact that he was still in jeans, L pulled open the blankets and fell back promptly onto the soft mattress. Light felt slightly awkward and turned around so he wouldn't have to face L. There was silence, and sleep seemed to be so inviting for both men at the moment. The moonlight that trickled in through the curtains seemed to only add on to blurring the lines between reality and their dreams. L stared at the back of Light's head, wishing that Light would face him. L tried to be as honest with Light as he could at all times, and he felt that they did have a sort of chemistry when they worked together, even if they did squabble from time to time. Dare he say he had an affinity for the boy? He simply pushed the thoughts out of his mind before stealing one more glance of the boy's silky hair. With that, he closed his eyes and spoke his last words before sleep took him.

"Have a pleasant rest, Yagami-kun."

--

Light sat watching L set up his makeshift lab area in their bedroom. He pulled several machines out with care as he set them on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry if this is taking a while, Light-san. I'm using slightly more sophisticated technology since it's travel-sized. I thought it would be better to bring the lab here so it wouldn't obstruct you and Amane-san's date time, as it were. I think it would be rather anti-climactic if you two were to go to a lab with me. It seems science and love don't mix," L said, tinkering with one of the microscopes. Light had almost gasped; he had forgotten that the bane of his existence would be coming over that day.

"I told you, Ryuuzaki, there's nothing going on with us. It's all one-sided and I'm sure you can see that from a mile away," Light said, glancing at his watch. L, finally satisfied with the arrangement of test tubes, gloves, and other such equipment, looked at Light blankly before stuffing his mouth with a lollipop that muffled his voice.

"Is it okay to whisper sweet nothings to someone you don't care for, Light-san?" L asked innocently.

Light obviously didn't take the comment very well.

"What's it to you, Ryuuzaki? I think you should mind your own business, unless you're some sort of love guru in your part-time," Light said with eyebrows furrowed. L simply stared and pulled the lollipop from his mouth to point at Light.

"Oh, I beg to differ, Light-san… you are very much my business, just as Amane-san is, too. I don't want to start the day off on a bad note but you are currently under suspicion, if you haven't forgotten, and I was simply wondering how someone I hold in such high regard could lie about something so important," L said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at the floor in a pensive manner before looking at Light's upset features. Light knew L made a very good point but he couldn't let Misa go just yet. After all, he still didn't know L's true name, and Misa, unfortunately, was the only one who could get it for him. It was almost disgusting to have L think of him so highly, but just the same, he could be playing some sort of mind trick as usual. Light simply shrugged and finally answered.

"It's all a game, Ryuuzaki… that's just how life is."

L put the lollipop back into his mouth and got up from the green couch. He stretched and hobbled over to the door. "I know, Light-san. That is one of the many things that keeps me up at night," L said. He shook his head and motioned for Light to follow him since the chain would only allow for limited distance.

The headquarters were seemingly deserted. Only the sounds of L and Light's chain making slow metallic noises as they moved against each other could be heard in the long corridors. It was Saturday, and most of the members of the taskforce were asked to take their breaks. Light looked over at the monitors to see them walking by on one of the screens. L made his way to the front door almost if by instinct. Just then the front door's bell began to chime.

"Amane-san?" L questioned sweetly before pushing the button.

"Yes please, Ryuuzaki-san. Let me in," she said, voice coming off strongly almost as if she were squealing to annoy them on purpose. With a final push of the button, L looked over at Light who was in obvious turmoil.

"You could have just left her out there, Ryuuzaki," Light suggested before running his fingers through his own hair in an attempt to ward off some of his frustration. L gave Light a soft pat on the back.

"It's a game, remember? I'm sure you can win, Yagami-kun," L joked.

Light looked over at L with a small smirk before bowing playfully. "Well played, guru-sempai."

L shook his head and smiled slightly before Light's focus became centered on the turning latch of the front door. Misa seemed to bust in with a flash of color and perfume, practically tackling a now floored Light.

"Light, honey, did you miss me? Because I was missing you!"

Light looked up at his gothic nightmare of a girlfriend. "Umm, yeah. So how's it been, sweetie?" Light asked, almost choking on his words. She smiled sweetly and pulled him up off the floor.

"It's been great! You know the daily photo shoots. They've been working poor little me to death! But what bothers me the most has to be you, Light. It gets so lonely at night." Light could only gulp as the aggressive girl pulled him closer to her face by the collar of his shirt. She was only inches from Light's face when she caught a glimpse of L watching them ardently. She pushed Light away gently to rebuke the peeping tom.

"YOU DAMN PERVERT, RYUUZAKI!" she yelled, practically foaming at the mouth. This happened much to Light's relief, as she let go of him and stormed over to L's perched figure. He was seated on his black leather chair, watching Misa's every step. She seized his shoulders and shook him slightly.

"Why don't you just leave us alone? Don't you have something better to do? I'm sure you still need to solve the Kira case, and you watching us won't help you solve it any faster," she chastised, looking directly into L's eyes as if trying to overpower him. L raised his eyebrow and gently pulled Misa's hands from his shoulders.

"I do have pressing matters to attend to, but it seems you like to shower Light-san with displays of public affection before my eyes. What else am I going to look at? I can't seem to understand why I'm the cause for your frustrations. Even if you did want to kiss Light, why would it bother you if I partake in a glance? You should be flattered, Amane-san," L responded calmly before getting up. He always had a way of coming back and being victorious.

She looked at him in mid-pout. "Yeah, whatever, Ryuuzaki-san. But if I catch you one more time!" she warned, waving a finger. L got up and gave her a crooked smile.

"You guys have something special, and that something you don't need to hide… now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to retrieve the saliva sample from just down the hall. I expect it has arrived by now." As L walked away from the seething girl, he stopped suddenly.

"Light-san, I'm going to unlock our shackles for now. I trust you and the Mrs. can act accordingly?" L said, searching around in the vastness of his jeans pocket for the key. Light looked at L with a surprised expression; he never allowed Light to roam around freely without his supervision.

"Ryuuzaki, are you sure?" Light asked in disbelief. Misa seemed to come back to life as she cheered.

"Light, did you hear that? We get time on our own!"

Light still waited for L's reply.

"Of course, Light-san. I mean, I won't let you two out of this level of the building, but you two can be in any room that you please. You're not a five-year-old, and I do wish to analyze the specimen in solitude," L answered, nodding and pulling the key from his pocket.

"Aww, come on, Ryuuzaki-san! That's not a real date and you know it," Misa complained with a scowl, at which point Light promptly put her in her place.

"Shut up, Misa! You're damn lucky he's doing this for you. He won't even let me roam around like this. **We'll take you up on that offer, Ryuuzaki-san**," Light said, quickly patting Misa on the shoulder.

L walked over to Light and unchained him before unchaining himself. "You two will have three hours together. So use your time wisely," L advised before pulling the chains into his arms.

"Ryuuzaki, you sure you don't need me for the specimen? I thought you wanted me to help you." Misa hit Light on the shoulder for the foolish remark. L paused for a moment before continuing on his trek to the bedroom.

"Don't worry about it just yet, Light-san. Enjoy yourself for now. Besides, I need to be able to make a clear deduction before I can even discuss the matter with you. You may feel free to join me after Amane-san leaves," L replied. He turned around the corner, and headed down the hallway to the bedroom. Light stood there for several moments wondering why L had become so lenient. Perhaps this was a spot of sympathy caused by last night's talk?

"God, that guy's a creep. Did you see the way he was staring? I will never get over it. Light, can we just kill him already?" Misa suddenly asked as she tugged on Light's shirt. Light couldn't believe how irritated he already was. It had been no more than a matter of moments before L had left him.

"Misa, you need to calm down. I told you a million times we need to do it at an opportune time. It would be too obvious if we did it now." Light's words came to no avail, as she kept pleading.

"I don't understand you, Light. I honestly don't. Shit, it's almost like you're getting attached to that loser. What the hell was that? Asking him if he needed your help? He should be on the floor worshipping the ground you step on. You are the god of this new earth and the best part is that it's all ours," she squealed. She pulled Light in closer but he simply pushed her away.

"You don't get it," Light said, straightening out his shirt.

"Fine, then. Tell me, what can I do so Misa can understand what Light means?"

Looking back at her in disgust, he mustered the strength to give her a hug.

"You see, there's this case that he's going to work on at the moment that has caught my attention as well." Misa nodded before Light went on. "There is a cannibal eating people up in Los Angeles and they can't seem to catch him." Misa's face lit up momentarily as she remembered something that she had seen on the news earlier that week.

"Oh! 'The Wolf-man Crimes?'" Light nodded and patted her lightly on the head; she wasn't completely vacant after all.

"Exactly, Misa," Light said as if he were talking to a young child. "They've gathered a fresh sample from one of the murder scenes and have sent it to Ryuuzaki, in hopes that he might be able identify the killer."

Misa smiled slightly. "This interests Light?" Misa asked sweetly. Light rolled his eyes a bit and granted her a smile.

"Yes, it does. The fact that L has to step in is actually quite a rush, and it gives us both something to look forward to in a way. It gives us a chance to prove that we're the best… like you proving yourself to be the best model in Japan." Something at that moment clicked in Misa's mind. Perhaps it was Light's choice of words that helped her to grasp what he was saying. She stood in silence for a moment before pointing her finger in the air triumphantly.

"If Light enjoys it, then Misa does, too! Why don't you go tell Ryuuzaki that you're going to go help him and that I'll try to help you guys in the best way I can? Like getting you snacks or something."

Light looked at her strangely. "Really, Misa?" he questioned before letting go of her. She nodded and pulled Light along quickly. Running down the hallway to the bedroom, Misa threw open the doors to find a half-naked L placing a solution in a Petri dish. After he finished pouring the solution, he turned on the machine, which began the mixing process.

"How may I be of service to you, Amane-san?" L asked bashfully, pulling over a green pillow to somehow shield himself. Light soon followed and looked over at Misa who now covered her eyes.

"Ryuuzaki, I was wondering if we may join you in helping to catch this 'Werewolf' killer," Misa said faintly. Light pulled her back slightly and spoke.

"I'm sorry if we're disturbing you, Ryuuzaki. We didn't mean to intrude, but we both came to the conclusion that we wanted to help you." L looked at them with a slight blush.

"It's okay. I just didn't anticipate you two coming in anytime soon. You see, right now this is the longer part of the process. The solution is mixing with a small amount of the saliva to reveal where and what it came from, but this can take about an hour, so I figured I would take a bath while it was mixing." L started, setting the pillow down and looking for his long-sleeved shirt. Misa and Light looked at each other dumbly.

"It's thoughtful of the both of you, though. I appreciate it greatly," L said, pulling the shirt over his head. "If you wish to help me, Light-san, could you check the current status of the case and see if anything new has happened? Miss Amane, would you like me to hook up the Playstation for you? I know how you enjoy _Kingdom Hearts_," L said, pointing over to the television in the corner. Misa shook her head and spoke.

"I want to be of help too, Ryuuzaki-san! Can I fix you and Light some snacks for the meantime?" L looked over at Light who shrugged in response. L scratched his head and walked over to the bathroom door. He stared at her silently before giving her a small smile.

"That would be capital, Amane-san, much appreciated." He closed the door behind him and left them to themselves.

Light was surprised at Misa's behavior. Most of the time, she would give no second thoughts to mocking L openly, but this time she seemed nice. Too nice. Dismissing his suspicions, Light began typing away on the bed. He was so occupied, he didn't even notice what Misa was doing. She tiptoed and looked at the test tube rack. She saw the sealed test tube labeled 'Wolf-man' and slipped it into her pocket, appearing as if she was cleaning up around the coffee table. She laughed silently as she made her way to the kitchen. It seemed that the coffee maker had already been set to make coffee. She watched as the brown liquid poured into the container below. She went to the pantry and pulled out a box of donuts that were intended to be for L, and retrieved some bread to make Light a sandwich.

She realized that it was either now or never. She took two mugs from a cabinet and poured coffee into one. Then, she pulled out the test tube. She hesitated for a second, and considered that she would be caught, but she really didn't care. She figured that from all the attacks this killer had made, this would practically guarantee that L could catch several diseases. L could probably catch HIV, but preferably, he would die or get very sick. At the moment she wanted payback for all the times he had undermined her. It seemed that justice would fail and would fraternize with the enemy. And it would be hilarious to think L would be partially kissing a mass murderer. She wanted to burst out laughing. She looked down at the cup and unscrewed the lid of the test tube. An ungodly scent came from the small tube as she looked at it questioningly. She focused once more and began to add drops of the cursed saliva into the cup. The horrible sent made payback all the more sweet in her mind.

"One drop… two drops. Thr-"

"Misa, are you feeling all right?" Light called from the kitchen doorway. She looked back and quickly screwed on the cap and put the test tube back in her pocket.

"Y- yes, Light. Would you like some coffee?" Light nodded and she walked back to him with the cup in hand. Light saw her face to be slightly worried but he didn't think anything of it. As soon as he walked off, she returned to the counter to pour coffee in L's cup. She made Light his sandwich, laid packs of sugar and donuts on a tray and made her way back to the room. When she walked back in, Light was busy hooking up the Playstation.

"I think you would much rather play videogames than be bored by this, Misa." She nodded and placed the tube back on its rack when Light wasn't looking. A total success, she thought. Just at that moment, L emerged from the restroom with a towel around his wet hair. Misa smiled and offered him his coffee. He accepted with a "thank you," and began to load it up with sugar as he usually did. Misa was in shock at how easily she had tricked L. She acted as normal as possible and sat down to contain her excitement. He finally sat down in front of his small workstation. The moment she had been waiting for had come.

L pulled the cup up to his lips and took long, languid sips of the scorching brown liquid. Misa wanted to jump up and down and scream at the top of her lungs but instead, laughed lowly.

L quickly drained the entire contents of the cup and began to review the results of the small Petri dishes. His eyes widened slightly and he looked over at Light who acknowledged him. Misa walked over to the Playstation and began to play silently while Light walked over to L.

"This saliva is infected by some sort of bacteria that I can't identify. It appears to be slow acting, but it's extremely potent... it almost behaves like a sort of venom," L started. L pulled up his laptop and opened a browser window, beginning a search for all known types of bacteria. With another, he messaged the FBI.

"Light-san, it appears that we have some sort of biological warfare going on. He's much more than a cannibal. I'm debating on letting the United States government know as well," L spoke gravely. Light looked at him with worry and looked back at the machine to view the results.

"Don't touch anything, Light. I'll dispose of it. It's become a sort of hazmat." L got up and handed Light the computer as he began to search for extra plastic gloves. "Please send off the emails."

Light looked over the emails and saw that they were written in English. He read what he could and was baffled by what L had discovered. Light read back what he could understand.

"A mix of rabies, blood poisoning and malaria. Who the hell is this man, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, looking back up at L, who put the specimen in a special case along with the equipment in another box.

"Not 'who is the culprit,' Light-san. The new question is, what is he?"

--

**A/N:** Cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN. I know, I'm evil right? Don't worry. Chappie two, I hope won't disappoint. ;D Please help a sister out and don't forget to review! 33


	2. Ch 2: Houston, We Have A Friggin Problem

Disclaimer: If I owned Death Note I would own the world now, wouldn't I? But I don't XD.

A/N: Sorry for the lax in updates – We're still recovering from Anime Expo. To those of you who read my fanfic, thank you so much and I'm happy to see you return for round two. A special thanks to those of you who reviewed! It helped and I found your input to be most useful. Yes, I know, L the Lycan, right? I know, at first I shook at the idea but then I realized L would make a perfect one just for the sheer fact that he would be so timid. I figure it would have taken most by surprise to see him change so drastically, but in the same respect I like L's character so much that I wanted to toy around with the idea of giving him "super powers" and see how he would come to utilize them in his own world. Well…with that being said, I hope you enjoy! Chappie three is currently in the oven and don't forget to review! ;D

Chapter 2: Houston, We Have a Friggin' Problem

_The street was clouded by a thick fog that was accompanied by the scent of moist earth. He wandered the street aimlessly, and then forced open an apartment door, looking around. He looked at the bed sheets and could see the figure of a sleeping child. He peered at the bed closely, taking several steps toward it. The child looked so innocent as it puckered its lips in its sleep. He didn't know why he felt so afraid, but just then, the adoration for the child quickly turned into something more sinister. Lurching back, he felt a pang in his chest as he tried to contain himself, but he was quickly consumed by the need to eat. The hunger was sickening and beginning to drive him mad. He growled in frustration and flung himself into the mirrored panels of the child's closet. The child was startled awake by the sound of shattering glass and screamed loudly. He shoved the broken glass into his arm, shouting for the child to run. This was to no avail as the child froze before him. He towered over the seemingly defenseless child and looked at his arm which was now drenched in blood. He convulsed as he fought his urge, thinking he could win. How could this time be any different? He heard a tiny yelp followed by the sound of crushed glass. His ears twitched as the scent of blood filled his nostrils. He looked at the child who was now crying silently. No longer himself, he let out a hoarse howl as he began to snarl and inch towards the child. Sanity had been lost and all he could remember before he lost consciousness was the taste of freshly spilt blood and flesh. _

L shot up in bed, drenched in cold sweat. Sickness immediately overwhelmed him as he caught a dry hacking cough that made him get up and run into the restroom. Frantic, he tripped over the chain that linked him to Light, the harsh yank effectively waking the younger man. L crawled as fast as he could against the cramps but he only made it halfway to the toilet before vomiting violently. The sickening sound of it splattering as it hit the tile made Light jump out of bed and walk over to see what was harming L. L stared at the floor wide-eyed, his thin chest taking in harsh, short breaths. The nightmare he had just had seemed so vivid and he could still taste the rusty blood in his mouth. His thick black hair had become matted to the sides of his face and forehead. The sight Light walked into was disturbing.

"Ryuuzaki, what's wrong?" Light asked, taking a step towards him. L had never looked so horrible or vulnerable in the time that they had been chained together. L pulled up his arm to wipe off the remainder of the mess on his mouth and chin. He moved his arm sloppily and tried to look back at Light.

"Light-san…don't lo-," L began to heave again before he could finish his sentence. Without saying another word, Light hoisted L up by the shoulders and pulled him towards the toilet. As soon as he made sure L could hold himself up by the sides of the bowl once more, L began to gag and vomit, this time closing his eyes with a pained expression. Light pulled some toilet paper off the roll and wet it in the sink before returning to L's side and wiping his face down. Warm tears flowed from L's ebony eyes, proving that the bags under them were in fact due to the dedication of his work and slight insomnia. Not eyeliner.

Light held L's hair until he stopped heaving. L's breath became shallower as he rested his head on the side of the toilet bowl. Light let go of him for a moment so he could put a towel over L's spilt insides. Light seemed to undergo a sort of shock. Thoughts of his objective to kill L and rule the world seemed to go out the window, as it would be downright vicious if he didn't even so much as offer a helping hand to his counterpart in his weakened state. L looked over at Light painfully. The muscles in his body were so tense that they ached with the slightest movement; it seemed that the slight adrenaline from the mad dash to the toilet was spent.

"Light-kun has come to my rescue?" L managed to say softly. Light, who was busy wiping up the floor, was surprised to hear L say a full sentence. He looked over at L , who was now lying on the floor adjacent to the toilet. He looked extremely dazed and feverish, with eyes half-open. Light stopped what he was doing and crawled over to L slowly, for slight fear of another outburst.

"Ryuuzaki, what happened to you? Did you get sick?" Light practically cooed, genuinely worried. L didn't look up at Light when he spoke.

"Light-san, we have another B.B. on our hands."

Light's head tilted slightly, not knowing what to say. "Ryuuzaki, I'm afraid I don't understand," he said, moving towards L. L closed his eyes, trying to regain some of the energy he had just lost.

"Beyond Birthday, Light-san. Haven't I told you about it? It's not the exact same premise this time, but…" L's voice trailed off as he shivered. He tried getting up slowly, but his arms shook and buckled under him, causing the cool tile to meet his face. Light shook his head and put his arms around L, pulling him up.

"We can talk about that later, Ryuuzaki. Tell me what's wrong with you now," Light demanded, wiping L's face clean with a piece of toilet paper once more. He stood up with L, the man's legs shaking as he tried to take steps. He made small whimpering sounds as he tried to walk.

"My body… I don't know… but it feels like I'm cramping all over. I woke up because of the cramps…no, wait. That's not why…" L began to shake his head. They had finally made it over to the bed, and Light set him down.

"Light-san…please check the news feed of the 'Wolf-man Case,'" L instructed, sinking into the mattress with one finger pointing weakly in the direction of his laptop. Light stared at L. He had to be delirious. Light shook his head as he wiped the hair from L's face so he could get a better view of his eyes.

"Ryuuzaki-san, please rest for now. We'll deal with it when you wake up. It's too early, and we haven't even gotten three hours of sleep." Light didn't even realize that he had placed his bare hand on L's forehead. He was burning up and Light felt slightly hopeless. L strained his eyes to see Light clearly, and Light blushed when his eyes met L's. It was only for a second, but Light couldn't help to look at the sweat-drenched man. The very person, who had brought so many to justice and had currently taken him under his own supervision, needed him. Light looked away, slightly embarrassed and confused. Why did emotions betray his logic? Before Light could pull his hand away, L frailly wrapped his hand around Light's, pulling against his cheek. Light looked back at him, certain that he looked like a tomato. L's eyes were closed and it seemed that he had finally calmed down.

"Light…san's...hands are...cold," L said, fighting his fatigue, though eventually, sleep took him captive. Light waited for about five minutes, feeling L's grip become looser until finally, his hand flopped to his side. Light watched L silently for a few more moments wondering what had provoked him to be so caring just then.

--

_- It appears to have been a massacre… The poor kid had no chance of escape, and this time the body appears to have been removed completely by the assailant. We cannot say much more about this case but we can say this: whoever is the cause of these heinous crimes will never again see the light of day. –_

Roused from his slumber, L still felt rather weak and sore from his ordeal. He wasn't sure of the time, but at least it was comforting to knowthat he was still in his room. A splitting headache tormented him at the moment, but he felt a thousand times better than last night.

"How are you feeling?" Light called from the couch. L rubbed his forehead and quickly noticed that his clothes had been changed. He was wearing a fresh pair of jeans to accompany his long-sleeved tee.

"I'm alive if that is what you are wondering, Light-san," he answered in a slight slur. Light smiled slightly and got up to walk over to L, laptop in hand. L sat up and glanced at it as Light sat down.

"Ryuuzaki, I don't know what it was last night, but it seems you're not a total quack after all. Your intuition was dead-on and at the time you had your fit last night… Look." Light handed L the laptop and the video started promptly. L saw the outside of the apartment complex and immediately remembered his dream. He turned pale, showing no emotion. To calm himself, he placed his thumb to his lips and watched the rest silently. Light could tell that something had deeply troubled the other man.

"Ryuuzaki, what's the matter?" Light asked gently, pulling the laptop from L's hands. L glanced over at him with a deep frown.

"I honestly don't think you would believe me, Light-san..." L said deeply, provoking a quizzical look from Light. L then nibbled his thumb as he normally would, only to hiss in pain.

"What in the world?" A drop of blood fell onto the mattress below them as L cursed under his breath.

"Ryuuza..." Light stared at L in cold shock. L gritted his teeth in frustration, unbeknownst to him that he now sported a set of visible fangs. The almond-colored eyes blinked almost five times before realizing he was not hallucinating. With wide eyes, Light pulled L's hand from his mouth, only to frustrate him even more.

"WHAT?" L growled in a tone Light had never heard before. Light flinched slightly before speaking again.

"Ryuuzaki-san…lick your teeth." Light said, waiting for L's reaction. L calmed down slightly and frowned like a sad child.

"I apologize for that, Light-san. I don't know why but I'm feeling a little raw…" L admitted before doing as Light had instructed. As L rolled his tongue over his teeth, he noticed that his canine teeth had become decidedly sharper. He got up and walked to the bathroom with Light close behind him. He reached the mirror and observed his reflection. Nothing wrong with him. Just two pairs of deep, dark, brown eyes resting on dark hammocks. His hair was just as messy as it had always been. Nothing to worry about, or at least it was comforting to think just that. But the moment of truth arrived. He looked back at Light who urged him silently with a glance. He grinned to show his teeth, and lo and behold, there they were: a pair of gleaming fangs, big enough to leave a bite, but small enough to be concealed by a closed mouth. He touched them in disbelief.

"Ryuuzaki, what's happening to you?" Light asked in a startled tone. L shook his head slightly, a hand still placed on his cheek.

"I don't know," was all L managed to say before walking out of the restroom and back to his lab equipment. He began to open the packages, and once more, he found the sample.

"Light-san, as I told you before, please don't touch any of this equipment. I have a slight hunch but…" L started as he held up the small sample tube daintily.

"This may be the cause of all my troubles." Light didn't know what to say. Was he suggesting…?

"You feel you might have been infected?" Light asked gravely. L blinked at the statement.

"I perish the thought, but it just may be plausible." L then resumed reconnecting all the equipment and began another test. After pulling a Petri dish out of a bag, L squeezed the finger he had just bitten. Two drops of blood fell onto the dish, and soon, another solution was added. As the machine went underway mixing, Light found a seat on the couch in front of the coffee table.

"I don't believe in fairytales, Ryuuzaki, and I know for a fact that a man of your intelligence doesn't either, but what if this… this just might be real? What if he really is an…"

"For both of our sakes, Light-san, let's hope he's not. Because if I am truly infected, then I just might devour you first." Light winced as the words hit his ears. Either L was trying to joke in a desperate situation, or he was very upset. Light naturally took it as a threat and came back with a sarcastic remark.

"You're usually so careful, Ryuuzaki. How did you get any of it on you, or for that matter, in your mouth?" Light knew there were so many ways of getting sick, but the most common entrance for infection would be the mouth. L pouted as he pulled over the bowl of assorted treats on the coffee table and crammed a fist full of jellybeans into his mouth. L did this for Light's sake, because if he had nothing in his gob, he was almost certain he would have spit venom.

"What's the matter, Ryuuzaki, dog have your tongue?" Light egged it on, almost seeing the detective change colors.

"Yagami-san, I would advise you to keep your mouth shut for the time being. Spare me the five year old pleasantries," L said in an upset form of his usual monotone. Light wouldn't stand for it. No one was going to shut him up, not even the person that could throw him in to jail for such actions. He wanted to punch him directly between the eyes.

"Bite me then, you air-headed, wannabe Sherlock! It's not my fault you neglected to wash your hands and got sick with rabies," Light insulted, motioning his hand in some sort of kung-fu manner, hoping that it would lure the detective from his perch. L, not knowing where this anger, or better described as a tantrum came from, couldn't help but let out a frustrated growl at Light. He bared his fangs and pulled the bowl filled with treats back in a jerked motion. L looked truly feral, hair almost standing on end. The intensity of the growl seemed to startle them altogether. Light flinched and pulled back as L stared at him in silent shock before letting his face fall into his hands.

"Light-san..." he began, shaking his head. Light felt the guilt in the pit of his stomach, but the detective did get a proper scolding. There was something markedly different in L's behavior, however. It seemed that he had become short-tempered, and on that very note, slightly more impulsive and emotional. It was strange… almost like Misa on PMS. Light knew, however, that L was frustrated because he didn't know what was happening to him. Light turned his attention back to L who was now lying down lazily on the couch, inspecting a bright green jellybean.

"I didn't mean it," L finished, looking back at Light who had unclenched his fists and sat down once more.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure you'll never live down the way your face looked as you snarled at me, but that's another time. What were you saying about this 'Beyond Birthday?'" Light asked, trying to change the subject to make it less awkward. L looked at Light in speculation.

"Who told you about that, Light-san?" he wondered with interest clear in his voice. Light rolled his eyes and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"How could I forget it? You mentioned it when you were half-asleep on the floor of the restroom last night. Have you forgotten?" Light asked with a slight laugh. L scratched his forehead in thought before answering.

"Ah, I did. It seems to have left my mind. Perhaps it will be a story for another time, Light-san. It's a long one, and I would wish to disclose the information of the case at a later time, seeing as how it could lead to the discovery of my true name, and with Kira still at large, I wouldn't want to risk it."

L plopped some more beans into his mouth, leaving Light to remember his objective. The gap between L and Light was caused by a little black book-- a little black book that had taken so many lives. Light looked over at the detective who was currently staring into space. For a moment, he considered what it would be like to know L on the non-superficial level. Would L even let him in? Would he let him know his secrets, dreams, and possible aspirations? How was L when he wasn't being L, or was this his true personality? For being chained together for so long, one would figure they would at least know each other's favorite color or band. This was all yet to be discussed and Light half-relished it, but at the same time, he knew that the sleep-deprived panda was growing on him. This was clearly illustrated the previous day with Light jumping at the chance to somehow aid L in any possible way. Emotions complicated everything; perhaps this is why L hesitated to show any at all.

"Would you like to indulge me in some idle banter, Light-san?" L asked, startling Light and shaking away those bitter thoughts. It almost seemed that L was listening in on Light's mind.

"If you wish, Ryuuzaki-san," Light responded, hesitant to ask any questions for fear of alarming L and raising his suspicions.

"Forgive me, Light-san. I'm not particularly good at talking about myself to others, so you'll have to excuse me if I ask many questions or fail to respond to some," L admitted as he sat back up. Light nodded in acknowledgement and posed a particularly normal question to set off the conversation.

"Okay then... I admit this is slightly unorthodox, but what would you rather be doing right now? What I mean is… if you didn't have to worry about the cases, or about what's happening to you right now, what you be doing?" It seemed as if the question was too much. First, L frowned. Then, he looked around the room as if an answer would somehow be written on the walls. Finally, as if struck by a grand idea, he smiled widely.

"I would be on the balcony, looking out at the city," he finally answered with a twinge of cheerfulness in his voice. It was very rare to see L smile. Even though it was gone in a second, the action was as rare as seeing a giant squid appearing from the depths of the ocean floor. Light smiled with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"Why would you look out at the city? I mean, there are so many other things you could do. Why that?" Light teased in a slight snicker. L's face turned serious once more as he plopped some more jellybeans into his mouth.

"I know that for that brief moment...I wouldn't be alone. Other people enjoy beauty, and I think that everyone does to a certain extent, but there would be countless others doing the same thing I was doing at that same moment. It would bring me peace to know such a thing," L finished softly as he eyed another handful of jellybeans. Light didn't know how to react to the depth of L's answer. Yes, L struggled to come to that conclusion, but Light knew that it was an honest answer.

There was a small silence before the mixing machine beeped unexpectedly. L stuffed the handful of beans into his mouth before looking at the results. It seemed that the result had come quicker than anticipated. "This is why Light-san is my friend..." L said in a sigh before his features once more were in distress. Light looked at L, awaiting an answer that seemed so obvious.

"I'm infected," L murmured, as if embarrassed of saying those words. Light blinked and gulped, wondering if this infection that the tube carried was, in fact, so contagious. L rubbed his face before searching for his phone.

"What time is it, Light-san?" L finally asked, picking up his cell phone and placing it to his ear.

"You slept for a better part of the day, and with good reason. It's about 4:45 in the afternoon." L raised in eyebrow in response before talking to one of his only confidants, Watari.

"It appears that we have a situation," L said gruffly. "Yes, thank you. I'm feeling better physically, but what has me thrown on the loop currently, is the fact that I might be infected by a potentially deadly strand of the bacteria found in our canine friend's saliva." L gulped nervously and Light could hear a worried Watari scolding L on the other line.

"Understood, and of course he knows, how wouldn't he? He was the one there to scoop me off the floor last night, I figure you'd know that much." L seemed to be growing increasingly more stressed.

"Whatever I choose to do is of no concern to you, Watari. Is that clear? I don't know how I would be able to get a sample from both of us to you at the same time, but I think I have a resolution." L looked over at Light who was still trying to fill in the blanks of their conversation.

"Yes, Ryuuzaki?" he asked, sitting up.

"Are you feeling hungry, Light-san?" L questioned, holding down the phone slightly. Light shrugged and nodded at the same time.

"I'm not sure what that has to do with this, but yes, slightly, I admit. Why?"

"If you're willing to drive out into the city to get yourself some nourishment, I'm willing to provide you with fare to do so. Just let me know where you would go, and that is where Watari would be willing to make the drop-off point for both the killer's and my blood samples. He has access to actual lab facilities and could run them through more extensive tests," L said, hushing the bothered elder on the other end of the phone.

"Um, I'd be more than willing to do so, but you won't let me out of your sight. Are you sure you wish to do this, or are you coming with me?" Light asked uneasily.

L nodded. "There is a car that has been approved by me, that is waiting for you downstairs. I won't be able to accompany you, but you will have to remain in contact with Watari who will be on the phone with you the entire time. I, too, will be able to monitor you via camera, so I will be there in a certain respect." Light resumed pondering where he might go. Light figured L would take precautions before letting Light out of his immediate sight, but he had to be truly desperate or growing to trust Kira, if he had resorted to these measures.

"If it would not inconvenience Watari, I would very much like to go and eat at this establishment by my house. They serve a rather good tempura bowl and I have been itching to have one. Besides, it's not out of the way, and there is a post office not too far from it, which I think could serve as a prime point for the exchange."

L turned to the phone and mumbled silent instructions before hanging up. "Okay then, Light-san. It's settled," L said, placing the phone into his pocket before returning to the drawer located next to the bed. He pulled out his wallet and the small key that had unchained Light and himself a day prior.

"Come with me, Light-san. Time is of the essence." L extracted the Petri dishes from the machine and placed them in a small, black box. They emerged from the room, walking down the long hallway to the main observation dock.

L turned to face Light and was soon unlocking the shackles. "Once more, Light-san, please don't open up the box, no matter how curious you may get. You do remember what happened to that cat… or to be more precise, to me," L advised, handing Light the box carefully. Light rubbed his wrist while cradling the small box.

"What are you going to do while I'm gone, Ryuuzaki?" Light inquired, walking towards the door. L watched him and shrugged before pushing him in the direction of the door. Before he forgot, L placed his wallet on top of the box.

"I'm going to see if I can organize a team that would be willing to aid me in catching this 'wolf-man.' I can't simply just sit around and not do a thing. I don't have a formal base in Los Angeles, but I do know a reliable few that owe me a favor or two, so perhaps I may be able to recruit them," L said, stretching and yawning. Light nodded and was two steps outside the door before L spoke once more.

"I wasn't able to thank you properly earlier, Light-san, but thank you for coming to my aid last night… no one has done that for me before." Light stopped and was able to manage a quick "no problem," but it never really occurred to him that perhaps he and Watari were the only two people that had ever seen L in such a troubled state. He walked down the hall into the elevator, and soon, was on his way through a Tokyo rush hour to his destination.

--

Sitting at the observation deck and snacking on jellybeans, L made several calls to those he thought could help him in finding leads in the investigation. This took longer than he had imagined because it was already nearing six o'clock when he finished. He stretched languidly before licking his new pair of fangs once more. He considered hissing at Misa the next time she came over in hopes of eliciting fear, but he knew he would never resort to something that childish. He decided a decent snack was in order, and so he made his way to the kitchen promptly. He roamed the huge pantry, finding another box of donuts and some fresh coffee. It only made sense that he would be hungry after expelling the entire contents of his stomach a night prior. He cringed at the thought of possibly having to eat _healthy_ if his condition worsened, so he took this time to stock up on sweets. He walked back into the bedroom, setting down his snacks and pulling a donut from its box.

Thinking of what he had told Light early that afternoon, he decided to make his way to the balcony. How corny it must have sounded, he thought. Even though he truly meant it, he couldn't believe how lonely he had felt on a regular basis. It never really bothered him because he was always occupied, but this time, he truly was alone. No Light, no murderers. It was just him and the refreshing afternoon air. Looking out at the city, he could see that some of the streetlights had already been turned on, causing the town to look as it it adorned jewels. It was sunset, and there was a rainbow of tropical colors at the very top, crowned off by a royal blue. He never took the time to simply enjoy what he had around him. Blinking, he came back to reality and took a bite out of his donut.

As he bit into it, he spit it out abruptly, his senses assaulted by its sweetness. With eyebrows furrowed, he wondered how this had come to happen. Nothing ever seemed to be sweet enough to him, but somehow, this donut had successfully turned him off. Feeling a small pang of pain in his hands, he walked back inside and placed the donut down. When he set it down, he felt slightly light-headed, and noticed that his nails had grown noticeably. A slight panic took hold of him as he watched his hands slowly begin to shake on their own. He tried to hold them still, but as he did so, it seemed that his eyes began to twitch involuntarily as well. He felt a silent horror take over as he felt his heart rate begin to increase. He looked back outside to see that the sun was slowly disappearing in the horizon. For that moment, he wondered if this was really happening.

He had seen the original Werewolf movie that had been released by Universal years ago, while he was still living at the Whammy House orphanage. It was his birthday, and Watari thought it would be cute to let him stay up just a little longer and watch the horror film. So, L had a hunch about what was coming next. As the sun slowly began to hide behind the buildings, the pangs of pain commenced. L felt as if he had gotten punched in the stomach and couldn't breathe. He began to gasp for air and finally fell to his knees, not being able to support his weight. His mind was flooded by panic as he wondered if he was having a heart attack, or was simply being taken by the infection. He tried to pull out his phone from his pocket as he fought his fear. He managed to call Watari with whatever motor skills he still had control over. He heard Watari's voice call a calm 'hello.' L became increasingly frustrated when he couldn't seem to choke out any words. Above all things, L hated not being in control of his situation. He was even more upset at the fact that his mind had become clouded with fear. He convulsed furiously, pain becoming unbearable.

"Ffff….FUCK!" He was finally able to spit out before falling back. The sickening sound of bones cracking filled the room. L screamed in pain. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, he knew he couldn't win. He scratched at the carpet in hopes of ignoring his pain, but to no avail. His back arched painfully as he threw his head back. He let out an inhuman roar that alarmed Watari beyond all compare. With the sun now gone, it seemed that help wouldn't be coming any time soon. Frenzied, L began to throw the contents of the room around as if they were mere toys. He was changing at an alarming rate, and he began to pound his face into a wall as his mouth started to ache, trying to accommodate his new, pronounced snout. His slouch was now increasingly more horrifying as his back began to twist and break. He felt like he was on fire, and he was unable to handle it. He wished he could pass out so he wouldn't have to endure it. He felt himself growing bigger, almost as if someone was stretching him, as he would stretch a piece of taffy. He was filled with disgusting feelings and urges he had never felt in his life and what was worse, he had no clue what to do. Just outside the balcony a small bird had perched itself on the railing, almost as if by some instinct, it had stayed to accompany L during the rest of the ghastly transformation.

--

Light had made it through the traffic and was walking back to the car with his tempura bowl in hand. As soon as he sat down, Watari began to yell at Light.

"Yagami-san, it would be most prudent of you to make haste! Please, just leave the samples in a bush several paces from you. We have an emergency." Light, now in half-worry and frustration, had almost thrown the box into the bush, which provoked a strange look from a couple that happened to be passing by. He turned on the car and left immediately.

"What's the situation, Watari? Is it the Kira case or is it the 'Wolf-man case?'" Light asked in a panicked tone. Watari sighed, giving his synthetic voice life.

"L's in trouble," Watari said plainly. Light kicked the gas pedal as if in response to Watari's words. He knew it was bad if Watari didn't even take the time to use L's pseudonym. Traffic wouldn't let up, and Light was forced to take side streets that seemed to be just as packed. This was very bad, and Light had grown immediately more irrational, having not eaten much throughout the day.

"What's happened to him?" Light asked while he navigated the streets. Thank goodness for wireless phones.

"I don't know what has happened to him, but I know he's not dead at the very least. I tried to get a better look from the cameras that were placed in your room, but it seems that they were destroyed because I can't get them back online no matter what I try." Light nodded in response. Some of the traffic was dying out and he found several abandoned streets. Growing irritated, Light boldly pulled the phone out of the car and parked on the street haphazardly. He held the phone to his ear while running past the swarms of people that still littered the street.

"What are you doing, Yagami-san? You do not have clearance to perform such an action!" Watari yelled over the phone. Light was already exasperated by the crowded sidewalk and was in no mood.

"Don't you dare call the cops on me! Do you want L alive or not?!" The question seemed to frighten Watari and no objection was made vocal.

"I'm going to take the train. It can get me there in five minutes, and it stops about a block away from the hotel. I need your permission to hang up because I might lose reception, but I will call you to confirm L's status, and so you can let me into the headquarters," Light said, voice full of assurance. Watari agreed reluctantly and Light hung up the phone. He forced himself on the incredibly packed train and was well on his way. He stood there anxiously, pondering what might have happened to L in the short time that he had left him. Light remembered last night and how horrible it had been. He could imagine L going through the same thing. What troubled Light the most was the fact that L could be dead. Watari said he wasn't, but who the hell could know for sure? Misa could have gone berserk and done him in anyway.

It had never been so present in his life before now, but Light knew that he would not be satisfied if L were to die at anyone else's hands but his own. It was a sick, possessive thought and he couldn't believe that it had crossed his mind, that he and he alone wanted to be able to catch that last glimpse of L departing from this world. However, something in the back of Light's mind knew he didn't want that. He really didn't want L to die. L, in a certain respect, had given him a reason to live and do what he did. This constant chase and thrill of watching L pick up the pieces one by one is what really gave Light a rush. Kira was the one thing that made Light stand out in L's world. It was the case he could not solve.

Light then felt a tap on his shoulder; the ticket attendant reminded Light that it was his stop. He jumped off the train and put his award-winning legs to use, running as vigorously as he could in the direction of the hotel. It came clear into view and he had never felt so alive. This is the life Light was meant for, not a gifted scholar, but a genius mass murderer whose conflicting thoughts led him to help the very person he loathed and adored at the same time.

"Watari, open the damn doors! I'm outside," Light huffed. As soon as the buzzard sounded, Light practically rammed the inside of the elevator as he got in and pushed the button. Floor by floor, he became more impatient, but he knew he would waste more time if he had tried to run up the twenty-seven flights of stairs.

"Goddamnit, come on," he said, clenching a fist as the elevator made it to the desired floor. Running the rest of the way down the hall, he threw open the headquarter doors. It was dark and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of Light's heavy breathing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around. He wondered who had turned out the lights and almost half cursed that person. He stumbled through the darkness hopelessly.

"Ryuuzaki?" he called, silently awaiting a response. He took several steps into the eerily silent headquarters and finally decided to head to the kitchen to grab a knife. He didn't consider the thought that someone may have broken into the headquarters until then.

"Ryuuzaki, answer me! Are you all right?" he cried, voice now echoing through the halls. Still no response. Light tiptoed through the corridor and made it to the kitchen to select the sharpest knife he could find. Unfortunately, it was a plastic one that L had picked on precaution, deciding that it would be too dangerous to have any real ones around the taskforce. Light was not pleased, but it would have to do and upon further inspection of the drawer, he found a flashlight. He tested it and was at least content to know that he had some sort of visibility. Making his way out of the kitchen, he called L's name once more. This time, his eyes widened as he heard a low growl coming from the bedroom. He turned the flashlight off and proceeded hesitantly. He pushed the door open gently, hoping not to startle whoever was inside the room, but this was thwarted by the door falling off its hinges and making a loud crash as it hit the floor. Light flinched and leaned against the side of the shattered door. Trying to see through the darkness of the room, he saw a tall, dark figure in the opposite side of the room. The low growling noise became more audible and Light became increasingly alarmed.

"Ryuuzaki?" Light finally called. He knew if he didn't say it then, he would never be able to say it because fright would have his mouth tongue-tied. He pulled up his flashlight and shone it in the direction of the figure.

"Oh God…" he gasped. First, he had seen black fur. Then, he could see what was left of L's long sleeved shirt and jeans clinging to the figure. Nothing less than horror must have been displayed on the young man's face as the figure turned gradually to face him. The figure rapidly made its way over to Light and in his worry, he threw his flashlight at it, along with the useless weapon. He ran backwards as he tripped over the remains of the coffee table and fell to the floor. He was seized and pulled up off the floor almost effortlessly. Obviously shaken, he screamed and pounded at the large hands that had pulled his shirt into tatters. A deep-throated roar filled the room in response to Light's feeble attempt. The creature shook him from side to side violently. Light didn't know what else to do but to scream and cry. Surely, this had to be the end.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO L?" Light exclaimed, closing his eyes and waiting for the creature to rip him to pieces. Suddenly though, the roaring and the shaking stopped. Light opened up an eye slowly. He looked up to try to see if he could catch a glimpse of what had just had him in a panic. There was a small growl, and then the creature laid Light down before forcefully pinning him down to the floor with a large hand. Light was still very much frightened and tried his hardest to see his captor.

"L?" the creature said in a thick voice. The voice seemed almost familiar. Light nodded and spoke.

"Y-yes. Yes, L. Where is he…Are you going to kill me? Did you kill him?" Light uttered, fighting back some tears that were elicited from fear. The creature bent down and proceeded in sniffing Light's face and hair. The cold, wet nose was finally pressed up against Light's cheek, making him close his eyes. Light was trembling helplessly and he wanted nothing less than to run.

"Light…Light-san?" it said finally, followed by a whimper.

Light's eyes flew open as he came to the realization that this creature was, in fact, L.

"Yes, yes, Ryuuzaki. Please let me go," he said, daring to place a rickety hand on his snout. Not a moment later, he was released as L withdrew. Light sat up and looked around for L who had already scurried behind the bed. Light got up, still shaken and walked carefully to L's side of the bed before sitting down by the lamp stand.

"I'm going to turn on the light now, Ryuuzaki. It may sting your eyes a little, but please don't do anything rash when I do so."

L seemed to whine in response. Light turned on the lamp first to see the immediate damage that had been done to the room. The couches had been ripped up and thrown all over the place while the coffee table now lay in bits along with the machines L had used. It was horrible, and the damage would surely amount to astronomical sums of money. Finally, Light mustered the strength to look over at L. When he looked at L, who was already gazing directly at him with his piercing black eyes, he was unintentionlly frightened. He was a large, lean wolf covered with black hair that was still unruly. What had used to be his usual hairstyle was almost still intact, but acted as a thick mane. It seemed the only thing that belonged to L were his dark eyes. His ears twitched as he sensed Light's worry. L was sitting on his haunches but was up to Light's shoulder in height. What was left of his clothes hung off of him, causing him to look rugged and untamed.

"How did this happen to you, Ryuuzaki?" Light questioned, motioning towards L. L pulled back and averted his eyes.

"I'm…not too sure… but it's disgusting," L concluded with another whine. L's voice had become thick and deep, but still recognizable. He looked in remorse at his hands, which were traded in for elongated paws. He shook his head and Light couldn't help but feel sympathy for L; he couldn't imagine what it had been like.

"It hurts, Light-san," L said, pointing at his chest. Light looked and could see that the transformation must have been painful in its process, and that L must have more than tripled in size. His chest was long and broad and seemed to take in breaths with trouble, trying to get used to all the air he would have to inhale. In wonder, Light walked over to L, who sat up straighter. He covered his face with one of his hands, hoping he would become invisible.

"I look horrible," he said with a small snarl, ashamed by what he had become. Light, still slightly frightened, shook before L. L looked silently at Light who gave him an unwavering stare. L stood up slightly and walked over slowly to Light, for fear of scaring him away. Finally, in front of him, he knelt over shyly with ears down and a softened expression. Light became slightly more relaxed and raised his hand only slightly, awaiting permission from L. With no hesitation, L's snout came up to meet Light's hand.

"I would never harm a friend," L said, raising a brow slightly. Light smiled timidly and allowed himself to stroke the detective's surprisingly soft mane.

"Yeah, whatever, Ryuuzaki. Just please don't ever do that to me again," Light started. L watched him intently.

"We'll fix you." Light said coolly as he noticed L's tail had begun to wag.

--

A/N: Whoo. That L, gave me a run for my money there. I was slightly scared writing that chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it, nonetheless. I know it was pretty gruesome. D8. lmfao Light. :D Don't forget to R&R on the way out, children.


	3. Ch 3: House of Cards

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note... lulz.

**A/N:** I just want you to know that this chapter has to be one of the hardest things I have had to write in my life. Transitions are pretty hard for me, and I want you to know that the chapter you are about to read was created and deleted once or twice in the span of three weeks. Hahah. The story should really take off and hit full speed next chappie. Anywho, thank you everyone for your support and seeing this thing out to the end! I'm your guys' biggest fan and please don't forget to leave a review for me to sink mah teeth into. ;D

Btw... have any of you read Twilight? I just bought it XD.

Chapter 3: House of Cards

Light found himself clinging onto L's fur for dear life. He was being jolted back and forth by L, who was swinging his free arm side-to-side and knocking the vicious Rottweilers out of the way.

Light could not believe how precarious their situation had become.

He had called Watari to brief him on L's current situation, and he had arranged for Light to take L out of the headquarters. In order to do that, however, L needed to be ushered down the numerous flights of stairs and escorted into a truck that would then take them to a safe location. This seemed easy enough, so Light thought he would have it all under control. However, as soon as Light had successfully gotten L out to the hallway, one of the men in charge of L's transport became impatient, and assumed that things had taken a change for the worse. The man was an ex-Japanese general who prided himself on special operations that required subtlety. The general ordered that they send several canine units into the building to ensure the safety of his soldiers and to find Light if he had, in fact, been mauled or harmed. The only reason Light had taken so long was because he didn't want L to panic or lose what little humanity he had left. It was hard for him to focus and Light had to frequently stop and reassure L of who he was.

Presently, L had stopped cold in his tracks and began to growl. "Ryuuzaki, come on. We need to hurry! Everything is all right; we just need to get downstairs," Light said, motioning for L to follow him into the stairwell. L shook his head and roared as he grabbed Light suddenly and pulled him to his chest. Light gasped, but before he could react, one of the attack dogs ran in and latched itself onto L's arm. This was a great mistake as L's teeth immediately came down on the poor, yelping creature. L jerked his head feverishly, ripping the dog to shreds and tossing it down the stairwell. L's dark fur was now drenched in blood and Light, once more, was frenzied. Light couldn't even speak from the shock of what he had just witnessed.

"I smell them…gun powder and more dogs," L bluntly stated. He held Light firmly as he scrambled down the stairwell. Light turned his head and looked over the railing to hear barking dogs and men shouting orders.

"DON'T LET THE DOGS LOOSE! HE WON'T HARM YOU IF HE'S NOT ATTACKED!" Light screamed. He then flinched when he heard L's deep roar rumble within the man's chest. The men became even more panicked and set the rest of the dogs free. L charged down the steps and slew everything in his path. It was a massacre and Light was having trouble believing that L, who had just handled him so gently, could be capable of snapping dogs into pieces. L growled and hissed at the dogs that seemed to be unrelenting in their numbers. Light screamed suddenly when one bit at his leg. Unfortunately, this was all it took to send L over the edge. L ripped the dog from Light's leg and shook it mercilessly.

"HOW DARE YOU," L thundered. He smashed the dog into the concrete, and with that, he ran as fast as he could. It was almost as if he felt no pain. He ran blindly, crashing into walls in his fury, causing some dogs to run back down the stairs. The soldiers didn't even stand a chance. L simply shoved them out of the way, not registering them as people and barely flinching when they fired their guns. Light was frightened out of his mind and found himself pounding on L's chest to try to get him to see reason.

"RYUUZAKI, PLEASE STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL THEM!"

L's roars suddenly faded. Light looked up at L who was staring back at him with wide and dilated eyes. He looked absolutely feral as he panted. His fur had become messy, and there were bloodstains around his mouth and mane, where the dogs had bitten him.

"Ryuuzaki, we need to get downstairs without you harming anyone else," Light said quickly. L kept staring blankly, but was urged once more by the sounds of more men. He glanced down at the length of the stairwell. L gulped and nodded slowly. He then pulled at the railing to see if it would support him. It buckled slightly, but L knew what he had to do. He clenched Light tightly and pulled a section of the railing out. L wrapped both arms around Light, looked over the edge once more, and then jumped; Light didn't even have time to scream. They hit the ground, with L landing on his feet gracefully and bypassing the gunmen that had charged up the stairs.

L walked into the lobby and placed Light back on his feet. He then knelt beside Light, and winced as he settled down. Light walked over to L and upon further inspection, saw that L had several bite and gun wounds. L reached over to his arm and pulled out a bullet with a claw. Light flinched at the sight, feeling the pain in his leg from the dog bite worsen, as if in sympathy for L. L whimpered and let himself lie down on the tile in obvious pain. Light knelt down by L and rested his head on his back, listening to L's heart race.

"Light…you have to tell them to drug me. I don't recognize these people and I might attack them, whether I want to or not," L muttered, glancing over at Light.

"But you have to come out of those doors with me! They need to know that you're not threatening."

L growled at Light, causing him to jump. "Just do what I say! I don't know how long I can hold myself off, Light. I just may turn on you too, and you need to get out of here safely. When those gunmen come through the stairwell, I know I won't be able to hold back…" L paused and pulled away from Light with a shiver.

"I'm famished, Light-san… and people will die."

Light shook his head in fear of what L was insinuating. L then sat up abruptly and faced the door with his ears erect and fangs bared. He roared and glanced back with an expression that read nothing less than fear.

"RUN!" he called hoarsely. Light nodded and ran as fast as he could against the pain in his leg. He could hear the dogs pour into the room and L shuffle to his feet. Light threw open the glass doors and could see the truck just a little ways down the street. Blindly, he ran right into Watari who stopped him.

"Yagami-san, what in the world is going on-- Dear lord, you're covered in blood!"

Light fell back and barked out L's directions. "L wants us to sedate him. We need to do it quick; he's becoming more hostile by the second!" Watari looked over at the general who was staring at him blankly.

"We need to neutralize that creature! He can't be allowed to live! He's already injured many of my men and who knows if he hasn't killed any of them by now!" the general argued gruffly.

Watari rolled up his sleeve gently and looked over at the general. "Where do you keep your sedatives?" Watari asked calmly. The general pointed to his van. Watari then thanked him and punched him cleanly on the jaw, knocking the man senseless. Light watched in disbelief.

"I did not hire him to compromise L's life. Yagami-san, you will get the sedative and shoot L with it. It seems that before that twit was on the scene, you had it all under control and he would be able to recognize you better than he would anyone else. I will handle the gunmen and bring the truck here," Watari directed, grabbing the general's walkie-talkie. Light nodded and limped over to the van. He rummaged through the contents of the trunk until he finally found a tranquilizer that was suitable for creatures the size of elephants. He loaded the canister into the special gun and haphazardly dashed back into the building.

Light walked in only to be horrified at the scene that was before him. The gunmen luckily had barricaded the stairwell and were stationed inside, meaning that they were safe. However, he couldn't say the same for the dogs. Light shook as he saw L hunched over one of them. He could hear L's lips smack together in between bites. L looked over his shoulder and Light froze. L was almost unrecognizable by this point.

"Ryuuzaki," Light managed to say. L looked utterly wicked and growled in response to Light's call. He dropped the dog and turned to Light, standing up and slowly revealing his true height. L roared with shaking hands. His eyes had gone completely blank which robbed him of any human features he had left. Light pumped the gun once and pointed it right at L's chest. L roared once more before he got down on all fours and leapt at Light. Light pulled the trigger and was sent flying from the strength of the gun. Light bit his tongue in pain from the sidesplitting fall.

As he caught his bearings, he looked around the room to see the damage that had been dealt. L had come crashing down so hard, that he had cracked and dented the tile below him. Light squinted his eyes to see that L hadn't actually attacked him directly; he was lying over a squirming dog. It must have been one of the only dogs that had been left alive. L tried to push himself up with his arms but didn't have the energy so he flopped over on his back. He screamed out in pain as he trembled. Light got up and walked over to L slowly, not knowing what to expect. He was cautious and called out to L once more. L turned over to him feverishly and snapped his jaws. Light stepped back immediately.

"Don't come near me," L yelled in a bloodcurdling tone. Light watched in horror as L fought with the wild animal inside him, twitching and rolling around on the floor. Light watched until L calmed down and ceased his fit. He walked over to L and saw that his ebony eye color returned along with a blank calm expression.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking over at Light. L was falling asleep. Light knelt down, certain that L had gained control once more and pulled his head up onto his lap.

"You're going to be okay now. Watari is outside so don't worry about a thing." L closed his eyes and let his snout rest on Light's chest.

"Thank you, Light-kun," he said in a small whimper. Light stared at him half-dazed. With whatever energy L had left, he nuzzled into Light's chest. Light blushed and couldn't help but pet the detective that had saved him nearly three times in the same night.

--

Light woke up in an unknown environment. The walls were a cool white and he soon found himself lying in a plush bed. Coming out of his dreamy state, Light got up and searched the drawer next to him. He opened up his drawer to find several different pairs of clothes and some toiletries that he could utilize. He got ready as quickly as he could and opened the door, instantly startled by Watari who was waiting for him just outside. The elder seemed to have an air of elegance about him, and had carried himself daintily just as L had. The only difference was that he had noticeably more finesse.

"Yagami-san, are you feeling well?" Watari asked in a cheerful tone. Light was still upset at Watari for making such a poor decision in picking who would handle L's transportation. Watari, it seemed, wasn't as inept as L when it came to sensing tension.

"I apologize, Yagami-san, but I can assure you that Ryuuzaki is just fine. You should know that I would never do anything unless it would be in his interest. At that moment, we had no ultimatum and no matter how we looked at the situation, we needed to use force. You did the right thing in listening to him," Watari explained with a pained expression before Light nodded and spoke.

"I understand, but if he's going to stay like that for long, we can't just resort to putting him under whenever he starts to revert to more primal states of being. It wouldn't do him justice and I know he wouldn't want that. Is he still a-"

"A 'werewolf,' Yagami-san?" Watari interjected. Light now had his arms crossed and eyed the old man with a death glare.

"Come with me, Yagami-san. You need a proper meal before we can resume this conversation. You have been asleep for three days and I imagine it must have been from the exhaustion from that horrid Kira case, along with caring for Ryuuzaki," Watari said, cleaning his glasses with his suit. Light's eyes shot open at the realization that he had been asleep for so long. This only added onto his sense of urgency and frustration.

"I'm not a child and don't dismiss me as such! I'm not hungry! Where the hell is Ryuuzaki?" Light demanded, slamming his hand into the wall to side of him. He seethed, though this seemed to have no effect on L's keeper.

"I do hope you know I have dealt with children all my life and I am not threatened by such claims. You will eat whether you like it or not, Yagami-san. I will not have you get ill and I will not take you to Ryuuzaki until you have eaten. Of course, I also am not allowed to disclose the location of these facilities, so please bear with me."

Light grit his teeth silently but followed the old man without further protest. They walked down long white corridors to the kitchen. The building, as a whole, seemed to be modern and cold. Light wondered where he was, as he passed by windows that showed several examination rooms. His imagination was running wild.

Finally, they reached the kitchen, and upon entering, Light saw a generous feast was displayed on a long metal table. Light's anger melted as soon as his stomach growled; surely, something to eat would help him to comprehend what was happening in much better spirits. He filled his plate with some fruit and all sorts of other foods as he went straight for the hearty meats and starches. Satisfied, he sat down with his plate of food and took a long sip of coffee. Watari sat down adjacent to him on the table and smiled slightly.

"I knew you were hungry." He said with a know-it-all chuckle. Light rolled his eyes but quickly began to eat ravenously.

Watari started to speak after Light was half-finished with his plate. "To finally answer your question, Yagami-san, Ryuuzaki is, for the lack of a better term, a werewolf. Currently he is not in his converted state, but at night, he is placed in a special room when he does become one. I have been experimenting with a sort of drug that can calm him and help him remain focused during his transformation… The first two trials were with error but this final drug seems to calm him just enough. Of course, with the proper stimuli, he will react as an animal would, but without the drug, he wouldn't stand a chance with all the _distractions,_ as it were."

Light raised an eyebrow slightly while taking another swig of his coffee. "What kind of distractions?" he asked intently. Watari nodded and clapped his hands. A small television came out of the ceiling and had adjusted itself before them.

"I thought you would never ask, Yagami-san," Watari said before turning on the television. The tape had started on its own and Light quickly focused himself. L was transformed and was sitting down in a garden environment. It was a large hedged maze.

"This is trial one, without the drugs," Watari stated calmly.

L looked around and had begun to sniff the air. Slowly, he was making it through the maze until he heard the sound of a goat. His ears shot up and he began to listen for its bleat. Light could hear Watari call to L over an intercom and remind him of his objective. L stopped, then nodded back at the camera before beginning to make his way to the exit again. As he walked, however, the goat's calls became louder until they finally released it. The goat darted out before L's path, drenched in blood. L froze and Light noticed that L's eyes dilated He paused and pulled at his mane, as if trying to contain himself. This only lasted for a second though, before the goat foolishly tripped and fell to the floor. It bleated even louder and L finally gave in. He ran to the squealing game and caught it in his jaws. The slaughter was merciless and he had begun to gorge himself on the defenseless animal, much to Watari's dismay. Watari was gazing back at Light who had gone pale.

"You are very lucky he didn't harm you, Yagami-san. The test with human blood yielded results that were much more disturbing…he didn't even have time to think." Light looked back at Watari in slight disbelief.

"Luckily for Ryuuzaki… he is infected with a lesser form of the bacteria and still has the gift of human reason, but our killer may not be as lucky," Watari continued. "The type of bacteria he is infected with is completely barbaric and basic. It would seem that during the transformation, our killer would not even be able to comprehend the idea of thought. Well …he could, but it would be extremely limited and would react to stimuli almost immediately, hence, the senseless murders." Watari finally concluded. Light fidgeted with his hands to cope with all the information he had just obtained. Watari got up and straightened out his suit.

"What are the _pros_ of this situation?" Light inquired finally, almost sure there weren't any. Watari smiled slightly and responded.

"It fills me with joy to know that Ryuuzaki is eating something other than junk food, not to mention he is faster and stronger now. In his human form it seems he can compete with others on the Olympic sporting level. He is more daring and cunning in his thought process, but at the same time, he is strangely more sensitive, but who wouldn't if they were going through so much? When he transforms and is under the influence of the drugs I have created for him, he can act as normally as we can only with minor animalistic tendencies…" Watari sighed abruptly almost nullifying all that he just said. Light stared, waiting for him to resume.

"Unfortunately, Yagami-san, there is always a catch…but I'm sure you know that better than I do. You see, the drugs I have made are only temporary. Like every other bacteria, it will soon become immune to the drug's effects, and with that in mind, eventually worsen in its severity. What I mean is, that over time, L's condition will worsen and he essentially will become what our culprit is. He will lose control, not only in his transformed state, but go clinically insane as a human. The bacteria has a duality, it seems, and if not treated, he will essentially become a caveman due to it eating away at his brain's centers of reason and control."

Light's heart dropped into his stomach. The prospect of L turning into a mindless fool was too much for him to grasp. He couldn't even begin to imagine it. This couldn't be how L's life would end. Light was frustrated once more.

"Watari is there no cure?" Light asked gruffly.

Watari nodded, much to Light's relief. "I need a sample of the killer's blood. With his blood, I can fill in the blanks to my remedy and make it permanent. You see, I do not have sufficient DNA and with his blood, I can try to treat the bacteria with L's less infected blood. It would be mixed with the traits of a flu shot to combat the effects of the bacteria, but act as an antibiotic in the sense that later, it would stimulate the body to expel or create particular antibodies to fight it. It would be so much easier if the FBI could round me up a sample, but with them on the case, it seems that they will be struck with cold feet and L would have no chance," Watari explained, still in slight distress.

Light tugged at his hair lightly. No matter how they looked at it, this case would have to take precedent over all others. Light began to think of how L would suffer if he were to begin to deteriorate intellectually. That pain would be significantly greater than death. No matter how Light looked at it, he didn't want L to die this way. Light knew that L was the only one that stood in his way for a new world, no matter how much Light needed to kill L, he couldn't do it. He simply couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. He didn't know, but somehow, being around the man for so long had made the prospect of being without him seem almost unbearable. As it was, Light already felt uncomfortable and almost needed L to be there so he might be able to comment on how ridiculous the situation was. The only reason L had attacked those gunmen was the plain fact that he did not want Light to be harmed. Even though L was surrounded by all those _distractions, _he still recognized Light, and Light alone.

"Yagami-san, are you all right? You seem a little flushed," Watari noted, bursting Light's bubble. Light shook his head and got up from his seat, recovering from the small blush.

"We will solve this case, Watari. I have no doubt in my mind. How much time do we have to do so?" Light questioned with his amber eyes ablaze. Watari could see Light's immediate change in attitude and felt somewhat relieved.

Watari sighed. "At the rate of infection, I would like to say around five to seven months, depending on how quick the bacteria begins to react. L has solved cases in shorter time, but there is really no time to waste. I want him better before he even starts worsening," Watari said, looking at his watch. "It's about eleven thirty in the morning. Is it safe to assume that you are finished with your breakfast? I have a feeling that Ryuuzaki would be expecting you by now." Watari looked back at Light who nodded quickly.

"Yagami-san, please don't tell him that I told you about his condition. He didn't want you to know, but I felt that it was only fair for you to know. He doesn't want you to worry about him, but I had a feeling that you would want to know what is happening. The rest, I'm sure he will discus with you, and do let him know that I will be waiting for his response," Watari said before opening the door for Light. Light smiled slightly and thanked Watari for his honesty. Watari was probably the only father figure L had. Light could tell that Watari was overprotective, and who would want any sort of adversity to befall the beloved detective? It was rather daring of Watari to take such a chance and let Light know of L's weakness but perhaps he was moved to do so because of Light's heroic actions only days prior. And what did Watari mean by L's "response?"

The building itself seemed to be one giant maze. Corner after corner, it seemed that it was all the same. Finally stopping at wall, Watari knocked twice. The wall parted to reveal another door with a lock, almost resembling that of a bank safe. Watari casually swiped a card key before a sensor and the hatch clicked. Such secrecy in this world of detectives, Light thought. Watari pushed the door open to reveal a stately library. Mammoth wooden bookcases along with burgundy carpet adorned the floor. Light's attempt to see how large this library was, was obscured by the height of the bookcases. Watari looked back at Light bewildered expression.

"I'm sure Ryuuzaki is only a few paces in. You will find him eventually. Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you at the moment. I have other matters to attend to. I bid you adieu for now, Yagami-san," Watari said before gently ushering Light in and closing the door behind him.

Light took a moment to look around and take in the scent of pine that assaulted his senses. He took several steps, shoes sinking into the carpet. Many of the books seemed to be old and worn. They varied in their genres and Light wondered if anyone had even taken the time to read the numerous volumes. He continued in his trek before turning a corner and seeing a large oak table with a fireplace not too much further. Everything seemed to be so expensive and traditional in this room in contrast to the modern feel of the rest of the building.

"I could smell you as came in." A familiar voice called from a spiral staircase only several steps from the long oak table. Light looked up to meet the smoky eyes with a half-smile.

"Ryuuzaki," Light muttered finally as L walked down the steps with several weighty books in hand. It was refreshing to see that L was okay and back to normal for the time being. L placed the books down with a thud and motioned for Light to come over and sit by him. Within seconds, Light had sat down by the detective who scooted away only slightly.

"Um, Ryuuzaki, if I may before you begin, I'm sor-" they said they were both sorry almost in unison.

"Light-san, there is hardly any need for you to apologize. You haven't done a thing. It is I who has been stirring up chaos lately. I was afraid that I might have harmed you, but now upon further inspection, it seems you're quite all right," L said, quickly scanning Light with his eyes. It was always hard to tell what L was feeling, but at the moment Light could tell that the man had in fact been very worried, and not just about himself. Bags under his eyes looked thicker than usual.

"Don't worry about me, Ryuuzaki. I was just sorry for being asleep for so long. I had to put you under a couple of days ago. It had unnerved me and I didn't know how the tranquilizer would react with you in your werewolf form," Light explained with an expression of worry. This was the only form of relief Light had in several days.

"To be honest…" Light trailed off with small a gulp, eyeing L who was now fully turned towards him with his usual blank expression.

"I'm scared for you," Light finally admitted. The detective's features remained the same for a long moment. Light felt himself turn red just before he could see some color wanting to form on the pale man's cheeks as well. Both men looked away from each other, sensing how awkward their conversation had become after only several sentences.

"Thank you, Light…" L said after a small silence. "If I may continue, I do not wish to keep you in the dark about the measures that must be taken to apprehend our murderer. It seems that his capture is imperative. Watari, I'm sure, informed you of what could happen to me if we do not catch him in a timely manner." Light looked down at the table before looking back at L who had quickly regained his composure. He nodded, waiting for L to continue.

"I'm sure that you remember when I had my vomiting spell days earlier. Well… I didn't have the chance to tell you before, but I had woken up because I had a rather horrible dream. In that dream, strangely, I had seen what had taken place at the time of the murder of that child. It would appear that through this infection, I have obtained a sort of collective awareness with our killer." Light's eyes widened only slightly.

"Like a type of clairvoyance?" Light said, slightly unsure. L nodded.

"You could say that. I'm not familiar with Los Angeles, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that I witnessed the murder as it took place."

"Have there been any other murders?" Light then interjected. L looked back at Light and placed a thumb to his chin.

"Yes. I had a dream about the latest one. I had gotten a chance to fall asleep in my new form and it unfolded just clear as day. He was driven to the location by car, and then as he got there, he had begun to transform. He took the life of the driver and also that of the family in a home not too far from the car. That is where I received the lead that would tie all the murders together," L finished with the tone in his voice changing slightly.

"The family he murdered was that of a famous mobster in the west coast, Louie Salvatore. He is one of the heads of a gang that is based in San Francisco, and all the other murders were linked in the simple fact that after rigorous background checks, they all have ties to some sort of gang. It seems that our fellow made the mistake in killing such a famous gangster, and the FBI didn't do their homework. That's why they couldn't progress in their investigation," L finally concluded, fishing around in his pocket for a candy. Light was relived to know that there now was at least a stable lead and marveled at the fact that L had wasted no time inspecting this case, despite all the other changes he had undergone recently. L pulled a book onto his lap and had begun to flip the pages. Changing the pace of their conversation, L asked a question.

"Light-san, how proficient are you with your English?" L said in a thick British accent. It seemed to startle Light who had a flashback to his classes. He wanted nothing less than to shove a ruler down his instructor's throat. She was an obnoxious fat woman who loved to tease him for his slight problem when pronouncing his L's.

"I can't say that I'm the best, but I can understand it better than I speak it I have to admit. What does that have to do with anything?" Light asked with ennui. L eyed him curiously.

"Address me in English, if you would, Light-san. I would like to assess how well you can handle conversation. What is this that I am holding in my hands?" L questioned, holding up the book slightly. Light shrugged and paused for a moment, hoping that he wouldn't mess up. Even though he had mastered English with greater accuracy than most Americans, he still wasn't too confident in his abilities. Still, he wouldn't let L have that satisfaction of teasing him.

"You are holding a book in your hands, Ryuuzaki," Light answered plainly. L nodded and placed the book in Light's hands.

"Very good. Now then, what is the title of the book?" L spoke in English once more. Light almost answered in Japanese but got the point when he saw L place a hand to his ear.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid that I don't understand what you're saying," L said playfully. Light got mildly aggravated and read the title accordingly. L nodded and took the book from him.

"I'm just joshing you, Light-san. I figure you would have a great understanding of the English language. I thought you might have trouble because when you read the emails I had written to the FBI, it seemed you had slight trouble, but then again, I realize I did use pretty complex vocabulary…" L said in a sigh. He looked back at Light who seemed to have a taxed expression on his face.

"Question, Light-san?" L asked. Light nodded and placed a shoulder on the table so he could rest his head.

"What does my having to know English have to do with anything?" Light asked idly. L nodded in acknowledgement.

"You see… I can't seem to drop the Kira case since it is of the highest priority. Kira has clamed far more lives than this werewolf, but if this bacterium is mass-produced and distributed, we could have a major problem. I wouldn't doubt the fact that various members of organized crime would know about how successful our werewolf seems to be and would pay him hefty sums for him to _clean_ for them. I assume he is already receiving profit. It would be even worse if he was educated, and was to know that the individuals, if not killed by him, could essentially contract the same disease that we are both afflicted with, essentially creating more lycans. It worries me deeply and I do have several people that can aid me in the case overseas, but no one could have been better than Miss Misora. She was an excellent individual, but Kira did her in before I could have even tried to contact her. I am not well acquainted with anyone else in Los Angeles, Light-kun…" L paused and pulled a _Jolly Rancher_ from his pocket. He eyed it silently before peeling off the wrapper and pulling it into his mouth with a fang.

"I can't say that I completely trust those individuals, but somehow if I could go there and monitor this case as intimately as I am handling the Kira case, then perhaps I could come out of this alive and still be able to catch Kira once I am cured… I want you to come with me in short," L said, quirking an eyebrow. Light sat back slightly and shrugged, unsure of what to say. Perhaps this would be a great opportunity to get L's mind off of Kira and the death note.

"Why don't we go then? It will obviously be very taxing, especially since you now are infected and it is very dangerous for you to travel. Then again, what use would you be if you do die?" The words rolled off of Light's tongue like daggers. Obviously, this was not him speaking and Kira had poked through for that small moment. Light looked away frustrated by what he had said. L's expression went blank once more and he pulled books aside to reveal a box that was disguised as a book. He touched a latch and it opened to reveal one of the death notes and a set of handcuffs.

"I will not let Kira win, Light-san," L said with slightly widened eyes. He looked somewhat frightening and Light could tell that he was not pleased in the least.

"You are under suspicion and I could say that it pains me to know that you are or could have been him at one point, Light-san. You seem to baffle me at times," L admitted with a pout. Light sighed and frowned, annoyance clear in his expression. He was upset at how edgy L was.

"Don't you think I would have killed you by now?" Light asked in a mocking tone. L now glared at him from under the tufts of dark hair that framed his eyes.

"You might as well, with such idiotic remarks, Kira-kun," L was obviously upset at this point and Light became so offended by his remark, his body reacted before he could. A book was already in flight with clear trajectory to L's face. Almost in a flash, L had leapt from his chair and caught the book in his mouth. He pounced on Light who was in an angry shock. Both men came crashing into the floor as L had seized Light's shoulders. Light punched at L with pure rage. L couldn't even speak and had begun to growl and bare his fangs. L fell backwards and Light tried to pin him down. L kicked at Light who was almost gasping for air.

"YOU MORON! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" Light screamed before he pinned L's head down. L squirmed underneath Light who was now seated on top of him. L growled and heaved in a blind rage.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL? YOU THINK THIS IS EASY?" L exclaimed in between shoves. Light looked down at L who was struggling to escape his grasp. What L had said seemed to have sparked a small feeling of remorse in Light.

"EVERY TIME I TRY TO TRUST YOU, YOU HAVE TO GO AND MESS IT UP. DO YOU RELISH IN MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL FOR TRYING TO CLEAR YOUR NAME?" L kept thrashing and Light lost his concentration for a moment. L seized the chance to shake his head free and headbutt Light.

The recoil of this action was massive. Light bit his lip as he had fallen back from the impact knocking him senseless. There was a silence as both men fell backwards. Light went blank for several moments before the pain in his head overtook his senses. He looked up to see L who was lying on the floor adjacent to him. L was breathing slowly, trying to catch his breath. He, too, was in obvious pain and had curled up into the fetal position. Light's anger seemed to be extinguished as he rolled over to face L. He peered at L who now was clearly alarmed. Light frowned and was hesitant to speak. In any other case, he would have wished death on his counterpart, but this time, he knew he had to have pushed one of L's most sensitive buttons with his remark. L had never reacted so violently and was often very good at keeping his anger under wraps. L inched backwards slightly as if he were afraid of another punch that he clearly deserved.

"Light… this is horrible," L trailed off. His arm moved only slightly towards Light's face. Light watched L's shaky hand inch closer and before he knew it, he felt L's cool fingers lightly touch his lower lip then snap back.

"I've made you bleed," L said, looking at the blood on his fingers. Light didn't even realize until he licked his lip. Light's eyes darted back to L's who were focused on his blood stained fingers. He shook slightly as he sniffed them and looked back at Light with squinted eyes. Revulsion was written all over Light's face. He sat up slightly and didn't know what to do.

"I'm too dangerous to be around and there is no way I am going to endanger you or anyone else," L said finally. He sat up slightly and wiped the blood from his fingers onto the carpet.

"Light-kun, you were correct in saying that I am of no use when I am dead. It only reinforced my convictions. I must go to Los Angeles alone, and please do wipe that blood off of you. The scent is driving me wild and I don't know what I would do if I were to crouch over and lick it from your face."

Light looked over at L with wide eyes. He almost felt like having L repeat what he had just said. L was a very blunt person, but this had to be one of the most honest things he had ever said. Light twitched and gawked at L who had already turned away from him. He couldn't believe L would even consider such an act but he and L knew it was the bacteria that had him react in such a way. Light shuddered at the thought of having L so close. Light wiped the blood from his mouth and walked over to L slowly.

"I didn't mean for you to get so upset. I acted childish and I realized how hard this all might be for you. Ryuuzaki, if you still suspect me, I will be willing to go with you quietly," Light finished, fighting his shock and tapping L's shoulder gently. L looked back at him half-dazed and ashamed. He merely shook his head and twitched at Light's tap on the shoulder.

"I have no dignity, do I? Thank you for the offer, but once more, I would not like for you to have to see me this way. I can't stand it. I'm beyond words," L said, finally looking back at Light. There was a huge change in L's disposition. His face resembled that of a child who had just received a scolding.

"Light-san, you see, the thing is I would be able to deal with myself if I was alone. Not that I will not try my hardest to bring those I seek to justice but…" L seemed to stop himself. He got up and brushed Light away, walking to the table and closing the book containing the death note and handcuffs.

"It would appear that you would make me want to try harder," L said, looking at Light who couldn't believe what L was saying. He had never spoken like this and he never openly revealed what was bothering him. Light felt half-flattered but the slight giddy sensation eclipsed this. He couldn't find any other means to describe it. He wanted to laugh and giggle like a love-struck high school girl. He was bewildered and laughed slightly while looking away. This was not the competitive scholar reaction Light wished to display.

"Um… I would like to say it's not a bad thing that you are showing a little more emotion than usual. It's supposed to be good for you…as for the way you feel about me... Doesn't that just mean I should just go with you? I could administer your shots, because god knows you're too proud to do such a thing, and it would seem that I'm the only one that could calm you down. Be reasonable…" Light paused and looked at the floor before continuing.

"I know I'm the number one candidate for being Kira… if you can't take me along with you, I wouldn't mind you putting me back in confinement. If it's the only way I can prove that I am not him, then so be it," Light compromised with a sigh.

L eyed him curiously and considered what Light was saying. Light was almost never so submissive, but this time, Light knew that he was doing the right thing. Not that Light ever played fair, but he realized L was at a great disadvantage and Light wanted him to be in tip-top shape if he were to attempt to beat him. Giving in to the latter, he really did like L underneath it all.

"What do you say, Ryuuzaki?" Light urged with L still gazing at him. L's eyes were fixed on him but they were miles away, calculating every possible outcome. L's fears of becoming to close to his suspect were all too real and clearly illustrated in his slip-up only a few moments before. This horrid affliction and urgency, L thought, no matter how L looked at it, he would need Light's help. Not just for the fact that Light was brilliant and was competent with L's level of reasoning; he was the only person L could really trust and confide in. L hated that he had let his emotions run wild at a time like this, but it seemed that this bacteria did make him tell the truth more than he wished. L shuffled around to see Light with a look of disappointment on his face.

"I would wish for you to accompany me… It would help to have a like-minded individual with me, and at the same time, I could still keep watch over you," L started. Light watched L's eyes droop slowly as he thought while talking.

"It's a sort of win-win situation. Your parents and Amane-san are currently under the impression that you are studying abroad as a sort of extension of your college. Yes, you will receive all those credits once you come back and I will personally make sure that you are up to speed with all of your subjects. Back at headquarters, they will be kept in the dark about the whole situation. Your father, Sochiro, has been asked to take a break and was rather stiff-nosed about doing so, but he was finally persuaded."

Light rubbed his eyes and smirked. Did he really have a choice? He knew there was no way in hell that L would let him stay even if he wanted to.

L hobbled over to him and extended his hand meekly. "Do we have an accord, Light-san?" L called in his thick English accent causing Light to quirk an eyebrow. The L that Light knew was back if only for that brief moment.

"Hurry up before I change my mind," Light said before firmly shaking L's hand. L then grinned and looked up into a corner of the library to a well-camouflaged camera and held a thumb up to signal Watari of their departure.

--

"_So, L is on the case? I don't believe that… You saw him with your very own eyes, you say? Are you deliberately trying to make your story sound like a load of crap?" The man took a swig of his brandy before continuing with his conversation._

"_Yeah, sure. Send me the file. I need you to prove it." Not a second later, the computer screen blinked and he clicked on the proper icon to reveal the images. The man coughed hoarsely as he tried to take in what the pictures had revealed._

"_Holy shit! How the hell did he get a sample? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BOSS CAN DO TO US? YOU INCOMPETENT BASTARD, WHY IN THE HELL DIDN'T YOU DO HIM IN THERE BEFORE HE COULD HAVE SENT THE DAMN THING?" The man seethed and pounded his fist on the table while the man on the cell phone pleaded._

"_If L blows this thing up in the open, we are screwed, and if the boss finds out, we are toast for sure…the plan, is we are not gonna say a damn thing. Yeah, that's right. Look Frankie, we can't mess up like this or he'll feed us to his new pet for sure! Wait, what, Frank? You gotta be shittin' me." The computer screen blinked once more and he clicked the mini feed._

_-L is sending two of his most trusted representatives to Los Angeles to further review the string of cannibalistic crimes.-_

_The man smiled and stroked his long beard._

"_Maybe you're not a total loss, Frankie, my boy. That's why I like you. You always see the bigger picture," he laughed heartily._

"_All you have to do to redeem yourself is make sure we give L's flunkies a "proper greeting," if you know what I mean. We have plenty of southern California hospitality, and why deprive them of that?" the man said with another chuckle before hanging up and pushing a button to fry all the circuits on his computer._

_--_

**A/N:** O.o; Cali hospitality, eh? Mind showing me some love and reviewing? lmfao.


	4. Ch 4: Absurdity

**Disclaimer:** Let it be known to all that I don't own Death Note!

**Author's Note:** I have no excuses for what I have done. I'm deeply sorry for not updating but, I hope that this is better late than never. If you need an explanation for why this has taken so long, all I can say is senior year of high school really does do one in ;.; No more excuses, only results. Once more to the faithful, thank you for undying support and reviews. They are very encouraging, seeing as I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment. Enjoy 3

Chapter 4: Absurdity

Light stared apprehensively at L's holding cell located in the huge cargo hold. It was a large steel cage that was cased in soft memory foam so L wouldn't harm himself as he transformed, but also wouldn't be able to escape even if he tried. Light could see that L would need to wrap himself up in something that was like a straitjacket to keep from getting loose. It was barbaric, and Light shuddered as he tried to imagine what the transformation might be like. For a moment, he recalled L's dark mane becoming drenched in blood. He couldn't even comprehend what it must have felt like to tear the dogs to shreds, a hulking creature that struggled between what seemed so natural and what was human.

"Impressive, isn't it, Light-kun?" L asked nonchalantly. L stared at his cage in half-disgust and half-awe before taking a hunk of beef jerky and cramming it into his mouth. Light shrugged and inspected the structure further.

"It's built on rollers so when I begin the transformation process, I won't cause the jet to rock. I can't help but wriggle around from the discomfort, you see," L said, prodding at a side of the cage with his finger. Light gave him a small glance that had question written all over it. L could tell and nodded, allowing him permission to ask away.

"Does it really hurt every time you transform?" Light asked uneasily.

L looked at Light with his dark eyes. "Well… how shall I describe it?" L started. He looked up at the cage and frowned. "I would like to say that it does. You see, the first time has to be the worst, Light-kun. You can't breathe and you can't think. The worst part is you can't do anything to stop it or control it… that's what takes getting used to. If you let it run its course, you should be just fine, but I'm not that kind of person now, am I? Realistically, I can't describe it but I can assure you it's not in the least bit pleasurable," L finished with a nod. Light gulped for a moment.

"What about… well, what you said, you know. The need to eat… is it really that present?" Light questioned, folding up his arms. L's expression changed from blank to upset as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Everything is heightened in that state of being, Light-kun. From anger, to hunger, and anything in between. If I crave it or feel it, I will have it." L stated in a matter-of-factual tone. Light gave L an incredulous stare that was lined with worry.

"Really, I was struggling to keep myself in check. It's like having another person make decisions without you willing it, and the small moments in which you agree with yourself, boy…. do you agree," L explained, motioning for Light to follow him back into the main cabin."I would be willing to entertain any of your questions as long as we are sitting down. My body aches a bit."

They made their way out of the cargo hold and walked to the cabin. Soft chairs were welcoming to the men who were still exhausted from the harsh night they had several days prior. They both sat down with sighs. The cabin was lavished as a testament to L's wealth and was filled to the brim with all sorts of gizmos. One almost couldn't tell that it was a jet cabin; the only dead give-away were the seats with buckles. L pulled his knees up to his chest and eyed Light once more.

"Any more questions?" L asked, nibbling on another piece of beef jerky. Light stared out the window to try to collect many of the various burning questions on his mind and tried his hardest to narrow them down.

"Well, there is one other. The rest I'm sure I'll come to figure out on my own in time. I really wouldn't want to bore you…." Light stuck his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out two injections. L retreated slightly while watching them with something that could be described as apprehension.

"How do you want to administer them? I could give you the shot so you could do it yourself or--"

"Please, Light-kun… spare me," L interrupted with wide eyes as Light had waved the injections before him. Light smirked slightly as he watched L shrink into his seat.

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me that you don't need them, because you sure as hell do!" Light argued with tension building in his voice. L gulped and frowned as he kept his eyes on the injections.

"No, no. Don't worry about that, Light-kun. I know I need them. It's just… I was wondering. Could you please do me the favor?" L inquired with pleading eyes. Light couldn't help but snicker. The world's greatest detective was afraid of shots?

"Are you serious?" Light asked while dangling an injection before L.

"It's not that difficult, really," Light said, eyes gleaming with mischief. L's reaction to Light's words had to be priceless. L pulled back and bared a fang, shoving the injection away.

"Yes, I am serious, and would you please desist! I don't enjoy being poked, just like 67 percent of the human population."

Light got the point and smiled wickedly before placing the injections back into his coat pocket. "Without them, you would be a wreck, wouldn't you?" Light asked. L nodded his head automatically.

"I almost couldn't recognize your voice, Light-kun," L admitted, moving around in his seat uneasily. "I didn't know it was you until you addressed me by my pseudonym and I was able to register your scent. It was like having memories flood back into my mind. Not that I could have ever forgotten about you. It was just I didn't know who I was at the immediate moment, like having amnesia."

Light's expression became serious. He happened to be intrigued.

"This can explain why you reacted to the gunmen and the dogs the way you did?" Light suggested, causing L to quirk an eyebrow.

"You could say that. I knew the dog was coming because I could smell it. My immediate thought, however, was to protect you. I knew the dog was in an excited state because of the particular smell it was exuding. It, in turn, excited me and made me latch on to you without thinking, but you and I both know that dog didn't run in the way it did just to be pet by you." Light looked back at L and remembered the whole ordeal. L did go through all that trouble to make sure Light wasn't harmed.

"I could smell you becoming anxious and that caused me much more worry, Light-kun… I didn't wish for you to go through something as ridiculous as that. When you got bitten, I was actually very afraid. One reason was because they had harmed you, and the other because I was so afraid of getting hungry, " L said in a sigh while fidgeting with his toes to keep his eyes off of Light. Light was currently reclined in his seat glancing at L with a foreign expression.

"Thank you for saving me that night, Light-kun," L mumbled while keeping his eyes focused on his toes. Light's face scrunched up as he gave L a skeptical look.

"I didn't do a damn thing! I could have missed you with the gun, for all you would have known. You must have injured around six people, and I can't even remember how many dogs you had to have mangled that night. I don't believe it was all for my sake, Ryuuzaki. Please don't try to flatter me. If I die, there goes your case and all your leads." Light was embarrassed to the point he had to cover it up with a sour remark. L looked back up at him with blank eyes.

"What makes you say that? And I'm not talking about the Kira case, Light-kun. You don't think I would be capable of putting another individual before myself? It's a shame you feel that way about me. Kira will come to justice. That is inevitable, but if I were to, in fact, die, you are my best bet, Light-kun. Haven't I told you before? I would be able to rest in peace if I knew you could be my successor. They would have to harm you over my dead body. Even if it came down to Kira wanting to harm you to it, all I'd have to do now is simply snap him in two like a stick of Pocky in a child's mouth." L's gaze changed. He was now very serious and was making full eye contact with Light. Light felt his stomach turn from the conviction in L's tone. Could L really be that over protective? Light put on a straight face and nodded in response.

"Light-kun, just know I'm not the type to go back on my word. You will be safe, and when I catch Kira, I would be delighted if you would aid me in the future," L said, getting up from his seat. Light frowned in frustration and looked back at L with a furious blush. It was disgusting to hear L speak such things. Remembering that you're a mass murderer who fawns to be the best of friends with an autistic detective would have made anyone sick to their stomach.

"I'm not a child, Ryuuzaki," Light mumbled silently. L walked away with a shrug.

"I understand. I just figured if I made sure you were safe, you would learn to have a little confidence… in me…" L said in a heavy voice before disappearing into another cabin that was meant to be an office.

Drama really wasn't Light's forte, and he knew how to spot it a mile away, but in this case, he knew he had caused it. Upset, Light glanced out the cabin window to see massive columns of white clouds. Light figured if he had stared long enough, thoughts of acknowledging L as his friend might subside. Light didn't know why he reacted so violently, but he figured it was because he knew that he was guilty and half-thrilled by L actually making their friendship more vocal. Being guilty had never crossed Light's mind, but the prospect of L openly being willing to take down Kira for his safety… that was a whole different story. Light's minutes of pondering soon turned into hours. His eyes were half-closed, but before he could react, he felt a plate being placed into his lap.

"I think you could use a pick-me-up, Light-kun," L said in his usual monotone voice. Light's eyes flickered open to see a piece of cake.

"Ryuuzaki, I don't want any c…" was all Light could say before he was in shock. L was inches from his face with a fanged grin. The bags under L's eyes had become noticeably darker making him look absolutely frightening in the dim cabin. L inched closer and Light could only push back in his seat.

"Ryuuzaki, what's the matter with--" L's icy lips crashing against Light's. Light's eyes were wide as he jerked his head away from L, but the attempt was feeble as L gently traced kisses onto Light's cheek and jaw line.

Light was appalled at the fact that he was starting to enjoy it.

L was pulling Light into an embrace little by little. Shock made Light's head spin and he had pulled L in closer without being aware of it. It had to be L's eyes that were drawing Light in; he had never seen this expression of need displayed on his pale face before.

Before Light was in a complete trance, he pushed L as far away as he could. Light's face burned as he wiped his lips and cheeks free of L's kisses. Light looked down at his lap once more to see that the Death Note was now in the cake's place. Suddenly, the lights in the cabin went out and Light's anxiety grew. He got up out of his chair and ran to the opposite side of the cabin into the cargo hold that seemed to still be well lit. He couldn't see where he had flung L, but it seemed that a more primal version of L had found him first. Wrenching fear filled Light as he heard a low growl come from behind him. He looked back only to be tackled from his front, dropping the Death Note to the floor. Light was being crushed into the ground. The enormous black wolf had trapped him under a heavy hand. Light looked up at L's clenched fangs and flaring nostrils. He kicked and punched with all his might, but to no avail. The last thing that Light could remember was a roar and the sound of crunching bones…

"Light-kun, wake up!" Light's eyes flew open as he let out a choked scream. L also let out a small yelp from Light's reaction.

"Don't worry, you were having a nightmare. Really, I can assure you everything is fine now," L said, pulling away the ice cube he had used to rouse Light from his slumber. Light stared at L wide-eyed, chest heaving.

"It's okay now… I came in because you had started to whimper and call my name," L reassured Light. "Those dreams are the worst, aren't they?" L was quiet as Light had reached forward and pulled L into an awkward one-armed hug. L's eyebrows furrowed as Light had patted L on the back.

"T-thanks for waking me up. I'll be right back, Ryuuzaki," Light said hastily, letting go of L who was blushing slightly. Light's legs wobbled as he made his way to the restroom and turned on the sink full-blast so he could wet his face.

Thank goodness it was all a bad dream. It was too real for Light to get over it so quickly. He stared at himself in the mirror and tried to smooth out his disheveled hair while regaining his composure. At least L couldn't read minds, or possibly know what Light had just dreamed of. The thought of L actually reaching over to kiss him like that made him quake. Did L even know how to kiss? The thought all together managed to both frighten and intrigue the young man.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Light muttered under his breath as he wiped off some of the leftover beads of water from his face. As he walked out of the restroom, he saw that L was still staring in his direction.

"You are quite all right, are you not?" L inquired bashfully while rubbing the back of his head. Light sighed and nodded. L was too shy to pull off such a thing, Light thought to himself.

"I'm fine now. I'm sorry. I don't like heights and I had a dream that we were going to crash," Light pulled out a half-assed lie to cover up his tracks. L couldn't help but smile ever so slightly and partake in a glance out the window.

"Don't worry about it, Light-kun. I have a blindfold and parachute with your name on them." He had obviously fallen for it and Light sighed in relief.

"Light-kun, in my absence, I have done some research on our soon-to-be home. There are several complications with the FBI, but I am happy to inform you that everything is going as I had planned," L explained, waving his hand around in a sort of fuss.

"What are you talking about, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked in a huff. L got up from the chair and shuffled over to Light.

"I was right in not trusting them. They have leaked vital information regarding the case. I was checking up on their servers, and from what I could tell, it looks like one of their members gave an unknown server clearance into special files. The FBI are good at covering up their tracks, but the other server left too many traces. The individual was rather sloppy, but took the proper precautions and destroyed his computer." L bit at his thumb gently. Light smirked slightly, knowing L had gained another small lead.

"I can't hack a computer that is out of commission… but I was able to trace the point of transfer from the email to the FBI headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. So, at least for now, we know that we are headed in the right direction. Also, I have narrowed down some of the FBI agents that I had once suspected of aiding organized crime," L concluded before folding up his hands. Light sensed the change in L's mood.

"That is the good news, Light-kun," L said with his voice dropping a decibel.

"I figured that much," Light said with a small scoff. L looked over at Light blankly.

"The next couple of months may be taxing, and I don't want these experiences to harm you in any way. I know you have witnessed some of the most grotesque murders, especially since you have been exposed to Kira, but things may get much more complicated…" L revealed, putting a hand to his forehead. Light shrugged with a small laugh.

"If you can handle it, I'm sure I'm more than capable than managing, Ryuuzaki. You were the one that got my father to point a gun to my head, after all." Light remembered with a scowl. L nodded with an apologetic look in his face.

"I'm sorry for that, Light-kun," L scoffed and walked away.

"You had to do what you had to do… besides what is it with you being so chummy lately? _Ryuuzaki-kun_?" L flinched at the drop of Light dropping the term of endearment at the end of his pseudonym. L was taken aback slightly.

"Light-san?" L managed to choke out. Light shook his head and let out small laugh.

"I didn't realize, Light-kun. Perhaps I am growing fond of you?" L admitted with a blank smile. Light frowned, despite the urge to smile as well. The small joke had reminded him of the dream he had had moments before.

"You are a very strange individual, Ryuuzaki," Light admitted, permitting L a small grin.

"At least we get along," L said with a small chuckle before following Light into the office.

--

Light waited accordingly in the hallway outside L's holding cell. The afternoon had crept up on the two men, and L didn't wish for Light to witness the horrific transformation. Light couldn't help but feel the strange sensation of butterflies flutter around in his stomach as L changed.

He heard a small beep from the door to L's holding cell click it open. Light gulped in remembrance of his dream and stepped in cautiously. He could hear a hoarse panting coming from the cage. The cabin was dim to calm L down after the harsh transformation. Light approached L slowly and took stealthy steps up to the cage door. Light's face scrunched up as he saw L's clothes lying off the side to the entrance of the cage. He remembered how before, the remains of the clothing had clung to L in tatters the night he had first transformed. Light could see L lying amongst the remains of the straitjacket. L had his back turned to Light.

"Ryuuzaki?" Light called meekly from outside the cage, straining through the dark. He heard L's panting cease as his head turned to meet Light's eyes.

"Light… could you please look away for a bit... I need to put on some sort of clothing," L requested weakly with his tail scooting between his legs. Light nodded with a gulp and quickly averted his eyes. He could hear L emit a small growl as he rose to his feet. L shuffled around the cage and pulled something on.

"I'm…decent," L finally said while fighting off the fatigue in his voice. Light turned around slowly to see L watching him silently from a darker corner of his cage. A large midnight-colored wolf with blue jeans kept its eyes locked on Light from under tufts of hair. The pair of jeans must have been enormous, since L was bigger since the last time he had transformed.

"I'm coming in," Light said, awaiting a nod from L. He looked over at a small keypad and tapped in the proper code. L nodded slowly and Light opened the cage door when it gave clearance. Light stepped in as quietly as he could. L backed into the darkest corner of his cage, almost making himself invisible. Light paused and watched L with wide eyes.

"Are you alright, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, retracting slightly. L still needed the injection and Light was worried that he could still be very dangerous. L huffed in response.

"Come over to the light where I can see you," Light said gently and motioned with his hands for L to walk over to him. There was no sound, and Light knelt down close to the ground to take a less offensive stance.

"I'm not going to harm you. Please come over to me," Light attempted to reassure, facing the metallic floor. His legs trembled as he heard L shuffle around. After moments of uneasy silence, Light could hear L take steps toward him. Light looked up to see L coming into clear view, crawling over to him on all fours.

L did, in fact, become larger by two feet and he did look much more like a wolf instead of a large half-breed this time around. His snout was long and he was covered from head-to-toe with thick black fur. His nails were traded in for onyx-colored claws that surely could have more than easily cut through the steel bars of his cage like butter if he attempted to free himself. On all fours, L was probably already past Light's ear in height, if he was standing up right. L's ears were down in a submissive gesture as he stopped feet away from Light. Light smiled out of fright as he got up and quickly walked the distance of a few feet over to L. Light paused suddenly as L's nose began to sniff at his chest and work its way up to his face.

"Light-kun," L mused as he sniffed him with closed eyes. Light blushed slightly as L ran his nose through his hair.

"Yep, that's me…" Light said cautiously as L used his wet nose to caress Light's cheek.

"I'm going to give you your shot now, is that all right?" Light questioned gently while patting L on the snout to regain his personal space. As Light had figured, the detective backed off immediately. L retracted with a jerk at the sight of the injection.

"Come on, you cowardly mutt," Light said, tugging on L's mane and bringing his head back down with minimal force.

"Don't worry. You won't have to look and you can sniff all you want," Light suggested, rolling his eyes. L reluctantly lied on his stomach so Light could administer the shot properly. Light pulled off his coat and draped it over L's eyes and face. It was curious to see that L actually reveled in Light's scent and had calmed down. Light took the opportunity to reveal the injection once more and prepped it.

"You smell nice," L said in a muffled tone. Light looked over L's head and gave him an incredulous look.

"Feh. You don't know what you're talking about… and don't try to butter me up. You have to get this shot or you'll chew me up like those dogs," Light concluded as he administered the shot and pulled it out. However, a split-second after, L flinched and let out a loud growl that made Light jump away. L shook Light's coat from his eyes and began to rub at the spot where Light had injected him on his shoulder. Light looked up at L, who frowned with his eyes.

"It burns every time…" L said in a hiss as he rubbed his arm. Light watched L's eyes change once more; they were regaining their human softness.

"I'm sorry for the sniffing Light-kun…" L said flexing his paw. Light shrugged with a small smile.

"I know you act differently when you are transformed. Watari told me to be prepared, sniffing and all… but why do you do it? I know you told me before, but there has to be more to it." Light couldn't help but ask. L's eyes had returned to normal by now, but L's eyes were too soft for Light's liking. L averted his gaze and spoke in a deep tenor.

"I… well… I like… it helps me to recognize you," L snarled slightly after his sentence. L wasn't good at lying under the influence of drugs and bacteria. L looked back at Light and cocked his head.

"I like the way you smell, Light-kun. Or do you wish for me to repeat it once more? I don't know what else to tell you." Light could hear the twinge of embarrassment in L's voice. To support the fact that L wasn't lying was the way his tail had been thrashing around ever since Light had entered the cage. Light simply shook his head and walked out of the cage without another word. He, too, was embarrassed. L's eyes followed Light silently before he emerged from the cage. Light left the cargo hold so he could grab a much-needed snack and freshen up. L walked over to another end of the cargo hold and tapped on a box that opened up to reveal a touch-screen computer. L knew he had made Light feel awkward but he decided that it would be better if he didn't pursue what he had just said any further for fear of another mix-up.

"_Yes, Light-kun. I just happen to fancy everything about you."_

L stuck his tongue out in distaste when the words appeared in his mind and had almost come out of his mouth. It was ludicrous, but on a lighter note, the case had not updated and the killer didn't seem to be on the move for the time being. This eased L ever so slightly. Perhaps he wouldn't be having nightmares tonight. L sniffed the air to notice the smell of strawberry jam and roast beef.

"I know it might not fill you up, but I brought five of each," Light said in an exasperated tone. The freshly showered Light was now in his pajamas, donning a plate of the two different types of sandwiches. Had it really taken Light that long to come back? L turned to Light with his tail flailing about frantically once more.

"Umm… thank you, Light-kun," L said, walking over to Light.

"Don't get used to it," Light scoffed. L sniffed at the sandwiches before snatching one away with a fang. He lapped up another effortlessly as Light set the plate down. L sat down in front of the plate and began to gobble up the sandwiches one by one. Light watched L down them in record time.

He reached down to collect the empty plate of crumbs and jam, but he was met by L's tongue that had lapped at the same spot from where Light wished to pick up the plate. Light froze, and L reared back with wide eyes. L brought his paws up to cover his mouth as his eyes dilated. Light scooted away from L as quickly as he could, knowing what the look in L's eyes meant. L had extended a shaking arm towards Light, but in a roar, he grabbed the plate and snapped it over his own head. Light gasped as L let out another roar. Light was now backed up against the cage as L pulled at his fur. Light huddled up and pulled another injection to his chest for fear L might be losing it once more. Tense moments passed as L's breathing slowed. Light looked up to see L looking away from Light. L's back was facing him once more and it didn't help to make Light feel any better. As Light got to his feet, L turned his head slightly.

"Go to bed, Light… I don't need any help today," L whimpered. Light knew there was something wrong.

"I won't make the same mistake again, Ryuuzaki… I'm sorry," He called from half the distance between them. L simply retracted his tale that wagged weakly. L wouldn't look back.

"You'll need the rest… trust me, Light-kun…" L whined before continuing.

"I don't like that I acquired a taste for you just by licking your hand…leave me be, Light-kun. I can deal with it alone…" L finished, almost sounding like a robot. He had become fazed and Light couldn't help but agree with L to not aggravate the situation.

"I understand."

Light didn't really want to leave L by himself, but he could tell that L needed the extra space. Light gave up quickly and left the room, and L turned to see that he was alone once more. L scooted around and got up slowly. As he rose to his feet, he began sweeping the pieces of the broken plate to the side of the cargo hold with his tail.

L figured he wouldn't be accomplishing much this night. He, too, wanted to take a rest from all that he had been doing and was already angered by his outburst. Once more, he resumed in checking over his email and doing some sleuth work on his own to ensure that he and Light would have a safe landing. Looking at some of his emails, he reviewed the state of the latest murder that had occurred two nights before. The families were barely recognizable. L paused for a moment as he looked back at his paws. He remembered the animals that he had slain recently. He was capable of murder of the same caliber.

L shuddered as he remembered their squeals. He hated the feeling of their warmth on his paws.

He shook his head and shut off the computer. L scooted around the cargo hold and opened up a box swiftly. He pulled out a large portable throw mattress and a blanket. Sleep was in order as the timed lights in the cabin dimmed even more until they finally shut off. The lights that lined the walkway were now the only source of light. L curled up with a sigh and looked around the room and out the cargo hold windows. He could see the beautiful starry night sky against the royal navy blue. He closed his eyes hoping… _wishing_, that sleep without nightmares could come to him that night.

Lucky for Light, L had woken him up just in the nick of time. L hadn't had a full night's sleep since before the transformations had begun. Night after night, scenes of murder and urges that sincerely frightened him had been plaguing him.

L hated it.

L's adoration for Light could turn into hunger very quickly in this form… but as a person. L paused as he gave himself permission to even ponder such a proposal. As a person, he had other hungers and he knew it. He shut his eyes even tighter to try to get himself to pretend that he was too exhausted for thought, and before he noticed, he was asleep.

L felt the warmth of the blankets as a nice contrast to the freezing cabin. Light's scent filled his nostrils and he could picture the boy clearly in his mind. His golden brown hair and deep amber eyes… L, in sleep, gave in to Light wholeheartedly.

He wished that he could at least reach over to Light and pull him into embrace. L didn't know how this would feel because he had only experienced physical touch only a few times throughout his life. Now though, it seemed that with Light, he was willing to try to come out of his shell. It was irrational, but perhaps that is what intrigued L the most about his feelings toward Light. He was like a puzzle he couldn't solve, but with each passing day, his interest would grow, leaving him fed up with Kira. L could embrace the Light in his dreams without fear.

L's mind was fuzzy and it seemed like there was a dim light coming into view. He left his dreams of Light to inspect the anomaly. L's eye opened slightly to see that the source of the faint light was the laptop in Light's lap. L's eyes opened a little more to see that Light had come back.

Light shifted around and closed the computer screen. L pretended he was asleep once more as Light set up his sleeping bag and crawled into it languidly.

Why did Light come back? Light curled up into a ball as he turned to face L with closed eyes. L didn't know what time it was, but it must have been very late. Light sighed as he snuggled into his pillow. _"What a stubborn boy," _L thought in silence. He shook his head silently as Light began to stir. The way the boy's soft hair shined in the moonlight elicited a tiny smile from the older man. L waited… and waited…and waited until the boy's breathing had quieted. L took the chance and quietly paced around Light to make a better assessment of his features. Once satisfied, L curled up next to the boy with his nose gently pressed up against the back of his head.

This would be a night without nightmares, indeed.

--

Light fiddled with his fingers as he stared out the cabin window. Los Angeles came into view and the sun had barely begun to peak over the horizon. Light's mind wandered onto the events that had taken place earlier that morning despite the beauty of the sun's golden rays bathing the land below him.

_Light had slept comfortably that night and found it hard to wake up. As he came to his senses, he felt some sort of heaviness draped along his waist and stomach. He looked down to see an ivory-colored arm just barely holding on to him. In confusion, he turned around and was met by L's sleeping figure. Light had almost gasped but he had covered up his mouth with his free hand just in time._

_L was actually sleeping?_

_He had changed back into his usual self and Light gulped to find that upon further inspection, the man was half-naked. He was wearing only a ridiculously large pair of blue jeans that hung off his hips precariously. This served as proof that he had actually transformed. Light was flushed in embarrassment._

_It seemed that L was sleeping rather peacefully; his chest took in small steady breaths. Light pulled away and sat up as quietly as he could. L was thin, but slightly more built than Light had guessed he would have been. L's body was a milky white, so much so that it gave the illusion that he was made of marble. Light's eyes shot back to L's face for a moment as L shivered. L sighed and pulled his arms against his chest to try to bring back the warmth that Light had provided._

_Light figured that he should have been disgusted by the fact that L had actually slept in such close proximity to him. Light pondered the thought as he pulled a blanket over the detective's bare skin. In some strange way, Light had shunned the thought altogether after he caught a better look of L's face. L's lips were puckered ever so slightly. Seeing L like this…made him all the more human to Light. As if by compulsion, Light found his fingers playing with a lone strand of L's dark hair._

"Light-kun, we will be landing shortly," L announced in a grave tone as the runway came into view. Light looked back at him and nodded quickly trying not to disturb his own thoughts.

_Light was about to get up when suddenly, he felt a gentle tug at the back of his shirt. He looked back to be met by half-open eyes. L's eyes were often intimidating, but it was too early for him to pretend that he was actually being serious._

"_Thank you Light-kun," he said in a deep voice as he closed his eyes and pulled the blankets over his face once more. The cheeky bastard had been awake the whole time. Light was sure that if he wasn't so taken by how simply adorable L looked while he was asleep, he would have done more than send a pillow careening into the back of his head. _

The ringing of L's cell phone had interrupted Light's thoughts enough to fully bring him back into reality.

"What do you mean we have a situation?" L spoke in the phone coolly. L's eyebrows furrowed as he became increasingly more frustrated.

"If that is what needs to be done, then so be it… We're moving to plan C, then… Aiber, take care and get out of there with Wedy if it gets to be too dangerous." L closed the phone between two dainty fingers. Light stared at him expectantly.

"I don't wish for you to be alarmed but we need to be very careful when we get off the jet. I think it would be safer if we were to dress differently." L got up quickly and started looking through some drawers in the corner of the cabin, finally pulling out a gun and cocking it before flinging it over to Light who caught it clumsily.

"Ryuuzaki, what in the hell is going on?" Light asked as he fumbled around with the gun in his hands.

"It is imperative that when we get of the plane, that you let me do all the talking. It seems that our arrival has been met with several complications." L pulled his long-sleeved shirt over his head and quickly replaced it with a red Ecko shirt.

"Light-kun, just please do hurry up and change. We only have moments before we touchdown in Los Angeles. I will explain the details later." Light had no time to argue and rushed out of his seat to pull out some clothes from the drawers L had just opened. Light had changed into something slightly more casual and had put on a coat with a hood just like L instructed him to.

"I take it you know how to fire a gun by this juncture, right, Light-kun?" Light gulped and nodded as he gripped onto his seat. They sat in anticipation as the plane had started to land.

"Ryuuzaki, you need to tell me what's going on," Light said in an irate tone. L was staring out the jet window with calculating eyes.

"Abier and Wedy are our distraction… the gangsters knew we were coming," L said in a gulp as the plane finally met the ground.

"So we should be safe then… Wait." Light tugged at his hair in frustration. "Don't tell me that…." Light stopped himself as L patted him on the knee.

"They have littered the airport with their men. Since we are dressed in a way that most people dress in Los Angeles, they won't be so quick to suspect us, as long as we keep ourselves from obtaining any unnecessary attention. I won't be able to address you in Japanese until we are alone, but I hope that you will be able to follow along with English well," L concluded.

Light knew it wasn't the time to become upset, but he was angry at the fact that he had to listen to L.

The jet pulled into the gate and the Captain instructed them to get off the plane as quickly as they possibly could. L pulled Light up by his forearm and they scrambled out of the jet and ran the length gate corridor out to the airport terminal.

"Shaun, stay behind me," L said trying to fight off his British accent. Light quirked an eyebrow but before he could ask, L was pulling him along once more. L had put on a gray sweater with a hood that had been pulled loosely over his head. As they walked over the tile, Light could hear several sneers and sounds of laughter.

"Momma, Momma! Look, that man has no shoes on!" a child called ecstatically. Light looked down and to his horror, L had forgot to put on any shoes.

"Great way to keep us unnoticed!" Light said as he tried to yank his arm free of L's grip.

"THAT'S IRRELAVENT NOW," L thundered as he crushed Light's arm in his hand. L hobbled around the airport with his usual slouch while Light tried his hardest to stand up straight.

L walked a little quicker as he looked into the bright green tiles. It seemed that they were being followed. As they walked into the restroom, L quickly shoved Light into a maintenance closet and locked the door behind him. L growled as he looked at the different stalls, and turned on all the faucets, then clogged the drains with paper towels. He had a plan. He did this all with record speed and managed to hide himself in the very last stall. As suspected the men that L thought were following them entered only moments after.

"WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!" Light screeched as he thrashed about in the locked closet.

As planned, one of the men went to go see what was causing the ruckus and the other came over to L's direction to check the stalls and sinks that had begun to overflow. The man opened the stalls one by one, gun poised and ready to fire.

The man at the closet had finally picked the lock and had created the perfect distraction. In Light's anger, he flung a tin bucket that was meant to crash into L's face but unwittingly knocked the man senseless. The force of the bucket on his face made him crash into the tile wall. His partner was alarmed and ran over to him, getting ready to shoot whoever was responsible for the action.

L took this chance to ambush him. He jumped out from under the stall opening and latched on to the man. In worry, the man dropped his gun and tried to pry L's hands from his neck and face. L twisted around furiously until the perpetrator slipped on the puddle that had begun to grow. They fell to the floor and L wasted no time in beating the man until he made sure he had passed out.

Light emerged from the closet only to catch a glimpse of what had happened before L had firmly gripped his jacket and led him out once more. They ran as swiftly as they could, knowing that it wouldn't be long before other henchmen found out what had happened. L ran down a maze of terminals until they finally made it to baggage claim.

Salvation must have had to come in mysterious ways: In the far corner were two suspicious-looking men. The two of them looked like the classic Hispanic gangsters portrayed in most action movies. There was a lanky young one that was accompanied by a much larger one. The larger one sported a long white T-shirt and a rosary, his eyes masked by dark sunglasses. L approached and saw that in the larger one's hand was a makeshift sign. It must have been made of a pizza box that had been ripped to shreds haphazardly. In scribbled blue Sharpie, the sign read, "David and Shaun." Light finally had made sense of what L had told him earlier. L looked around suspiciously before pulling along with him silently.

"That would be our ride, Shaun," L said, still trying to catch his breath from their run across the airport. L could tell that Light was appalled at the fact that those men would be their escorts. With no time to waste, L walked up to the oldest man with determined eyes. The young man in precaution put his hand into his pocket. He had obviously concealed his gun but was ready in case anything should go wrong. The older man placed the sign down and smiled from under his moustache.

"¿_Y tu nombre es_?" The tallest man asked in a chuckle. L nodded in understanding as Light's eyes squinted. He was regretting not having mastered Spanish fully.

"_Mi nombre es David. Hemos llegado a representar L, pido disculpas de antemano por mi compañero. __Verá que no habla español con fluidez_," L explained with a small shrug. The older man looked over at Light and smiled once more.

"Don't worry 'bout it. We can speak in English for the homie. The name is Carlos and my midget's name is Pablo." Carlos smiled wickedly as the young boy drew his gun in plain sight.

"Eyy! Don't be making fun of me like dat or I'll bust have ta bust a cap…" A woman watched the boy with wide eyes.

"_A la mierda_! We gotta get outta here!" Carlos screamed as he picked up Pablo and draped him over his shoulder. In seconds, they had run out of the airport and jumped in a large black Hummer. Light looked over in L's direction and gave him the worst look of disdain he could muster. L pulled his knees to his chest in obvious worry before Pablo turned to look at them and gave them an apologetic look.

"Uh… welcome to Los Angeles?" Pablo said in a small voice as Carlos sped past the LAX structure and made it onto the freeway.


End file.
